Treadmill validation of the Siconolfi Step Test

Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) is the internationally recognized measure of a person's cardiorespiratory fitness. Currently the most accurate ways of assessing one's true VO2max involves the use of maximal exercise tests, which require the use of specialized equipment, are time consuming and costly. In this study, a submaximal exercise test, the Siconolfi Step Test, was examined as a predictor of VO2max. Thirty-six individuals underwent the step test and a maximal treadmill test where VO2max was directly measured. Body fat percentage was also examined as a possible variable to aid in the prediction of VO2max.;Results indicate that although the Siconolfi step test is highly correlated to true VO2max (r = .887; p < .01), this test protocol tends to underestimate a person's aerobic fitness. It was also determined that body fat percentage did not aid in the prediction of VO2max.