<p>Kursen Projektarbete.</p>

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a rapidly growing public health concern causing severe challenges to the health care system. Affecting the lives of more than 5 million Americans, it is characterized by brain-related morphological changes coupled with decrements in performance on tasks involving cognitive function such as those assessing memory and problem-solving abilities. Fortunately, current scientific research provides evidence that this trend towards rapid cognitive decline in older adults is not immutable, but rather can be attenuated through a simple adjustment to regular engagement in aerobic exercise. To date, numerous studies have associated regular cardiovascular exercise to changes in brain function and structure. In particular, aerobic exercise has been shown to have a direct effect on the hippocampus (HC), one of the earliest regions of the brain to be affected in AD, which plays an important role in learning and memory. Scientific research on animal models has demonstrated increased adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), or the birth of new neurons, in the dentate gyrus (DG) subregion of the hippocampus as a response to increases in aerobic exercise. Such findings have led to the hypothesis that aerobic exercise can improve cognitive performance, more specifically hippocampal-dependent learning and memory, through the formation of new hippocampal neurons. Similarly, in human studies, previous research has shown that significant improvements in cardiovascular fitness are positively correlated with increased hippocampal volume. Structural increases in hippocampal volume are thought to be mediated by increased angiogenesis, or the generation of new blood vessels, which in turn are correlated with significant improvements in spatial memory, a task determined by memory function. The benefits of aerobic exercise, nonetheless, are not limited to the hippocampus. As people age, atrophy of the brain is also inclusive of the prefrontal cortex, a region implicated in planning and decision making. Scientific literature has shown, that similar to the hippocampus, increases in aerobic exercise, directly result to increases in grey matter volume in the prefrontal lobe and increases in white matter volume in the genu of the corpus callosum. Such structural changes in the prefrontal lobe are correlated with enhanced decision making on cognitive tasks, an essential component of executive function. For the purposes of this study, an effective method of evaluating whether changes in brain structure due to higher cardiorespiratory fitness have an association with cognitive function was through the administration of the Digital Clock Drawing Test (dCDT). The dCDT is a recently developed cognitive test based on the traditional Clock Drawing Test (CDT) that uses a digital pen and allows for the measurement of several parameters such as “Ink time” and “Think time.” Recent scientific studies report that such parameters may have a potential enhanced sensitivity to detecting cognitive change as compared to the traditional CDT. Therefore, the dCDT has come forward as an advantageous approach for testing cognitive skills in aging individuals such as those assessing executive and motor function, and semantic memory, as it happens in real time. DCDT parameters such as total time to complete the clock drawing, total ink time, total think time, total ink length, and clock size have been shown to differ significantly among subjects of varying degrees of cognitive impairment such as AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy, non-demented controls. Patients who were clinically diagnosed as cognitively impaired spent a greater amount of time thinking and drawing on both the command and copy clocks conditions as compared to healthy, non-demented individuals. Similarly, patients affected by greater cognitive impairments, such as AD, tended to draw smaller clocks in terms of height and width of the clock face that required less total ink length to complete the clock drawing, when compared to healthy controls and MCI participants. Findings showed that AD patients appeared to be working longer (greater time of completion) though producing less output (smaller clock and shorted ink length) as compared to non-impaired individuals. Variations of graphomotor latencies in the dCDT performance, therefore, are associated with individual’s cognitive capacities. The goal of this study is to investigate the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness based on VO2 max testing and cognitive constructs such as memory, executive function, and gross motor processing speeds as measured by graphomotor latencies and drawing patterns using the dCDT in healthy, non-demented older adults. I hypothesize that greater cardiorespiratory fitness will be negatively associated with graphomotor timed latencies in various parameters of the dCDT, given that exercise has known effects on the brain regions responsible for executive function and memory. To test these hypotheses, cardiorespiratory fitness and dCDT data from 12 sedentary older adults between the ages of 55 and 85 years from a larger study in the Brain Plasticity and Neuroimaging Laboratory at Boston University were collected and analyzed. A multiple regression analysis was used to predict the dCDT measures from individual’s cardiorespiratory fitness using estimated VO2 max levels. Results showed that cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults is inversely associated with graphomotor times in both the command and copy test conditions as predicted by our hypothesis. In particular, greater cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with shorter total ink time for both clock drawing testing conditions. These results held when controlled for age, sex, and education; higher cardiorespiratory fit older adults performed better (a shorter time is needed to achieve the same outcome) on tasks requiring greater cognitive constructs such as memory, executive function, and motor processing speeds. Therefore, it can be concluded that cardiorespiratory fitness may be a neurodegenerative protector in aging adults supporting its beneficial role as a therapeutic agent for cognitive decline in older adults.

The purpose of this study was to develop a regression equation to predict VO2max based on non-exercise (N-EX) data. All participants (N = 100), aged 18-65 years old, successfully completed a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) to assess VO2max (mean ± SD; 39.96 mL∙kg-¹∙min&sup-1; ± 9.54 mL∙kg-¹∙min-¹). The N-EX data collected just before the maximal GXT included the participant's age, gender, body mass index (BMI), perceived functional ability (PFA) to walk, jog, or run given distances, and current physical activity (PA-R) level. Multiple linear regression generated the following N-EX prediction equation (R = .93, SEE = 3.45 mL∙kg-¹∙min-¹, %SEE = 8.62): VO2max (mL∙kg-¹∙min-¹) = 48.0730 + (6.1779 x gender) - (0.2463 x age) - (0.6186 x BMI) + (0.7115 x PFA) + (0.6709 x PA-R). Cross validation using PRESS (predicted residual sum of squares) statistics revealed minimal shrinkage (Rp = .91 and SEEp = 3.63 mL∙kg-¹∙min-¹); thus, this model should yield acceptable accuracy when applied to an independent sample of adults (aged 18-65) with a similar cardiorespiratory fitness level. Based on standardized β-weights the PFA variable (0.41) was the most effective at predicting VO2max followed by age (-0.34), gender (0.33), BMI (-0.27), and PA-R (0.16). This study provides a N-EX regression model that yields relatively accurate results and is a convenient way to predict VO2max in adult men and women.

ABSTRACT The Effects of a Novel Exercise Training Suit on Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Body Composition and Leg Strength Trevor Michael Curry The physiological responses to physical activity or exercise using external load carriage systems (LCS) in the form of weighted personal protective equipment, backpacks, or vests have biomechanical and human performance implications. It remains unclear whether a new unique LCS in the form of a weighted (5.45 kg) full-bodied exercise suit can induce greater improvements in performance and body composition. Twenty-one healthy males (20±3 years; 24.9±3.6 body mass index (BMI); 25.1±6.4% total percentage body fat ( % fat); 120.1±17.3 kg lean mass; 146.2±35.4 kg leg press 1-repetition max; 1.25±0.14 g·cm-2 bone mineral density; 49.5±8.53 mLO2·kg-1·min-1 maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max)) were matched for VO2max and physical characteristics before being randomly allocated into an aerobic exercise intervention with or without the exercise suit using a treadmill at the Cal Poly Recreation Center. Participants jogged at 60%-70% of their maximum heart rate for 30 min three times a week on nonconsecutive days for six weeks. Weight was recorded before and after each session while heart rates, blood pressures, and tympanic membrane temperatures were recorded incrementally during each session. Thereafter, VO2max and the same physical characteristics were measured and used to analyze the changes before and after the 6-week program. The results indicate that there was no difference for the change in any of the variables measured during and between the exercise intervention. Future studies examining the effect of the exercise suit on these variables should strongly consider larger sample sizes and other subpopulations to gain the statistical power to measure the effects of the exercise suit.

Background: The proportion of elderly in the population is increasing globally. Aerobic capacity (AC) and muscle strength (MS) are important factors for health and quality of life. AC as well as MS decrease with higher age. Increased knowledge about how longitudinal changes in AC and MS covaries could lead to more accurate assessments and exercise recommendations depending on age and fitness level.  Objective: The overall aim was to examine changes in MS and AC from 34 to 63 years of age and if there was an association between the two variables. Specific research questions: (Q1) Is the Two-hand lift (THL) a valid measuring method of knee extensor strength compared to isokinetic knee extension in Biodex®? (Q2) Is there a correlation between VO2max and knee extensor strength on a cross-sectional level at the ages of 63, 52 and 34? (Q3) Is there a correlation between longitudinal changes in knee extensor strength and VO2max from 34 to 63 years of age? (Q4) Is the longitudinal change in physical capacity between 34 and 63 years of age the same in terms of MS and AC?  Methods: Data from a Swedish longitudinal, prospective cohort-study (SPAF) with objective measures of physical capacity from the same sample of women and men since 1974 was used for statistical analysis. A linear regression model was conducted to investigate construct validity of the THL. Knee extension strength (Nm) in Biodex® was set as the dependent variable and kilogram force (kp) in the THL, Jamar® Hand Grip Strength (kg), bodyweight (kg), height (cm) were set as independent variables with sex and exerciser yes/no as factors. A multiple linear regression model was used to explore correlation between MS and AC on a cross-sectional level. VO2max (L/min) estimated according to Ekblom-Bak’s ergometer cycle test was defined as the dependent variable at age 63 and Åstrand’s test at age 34 and 52. MS (kp) in the THL-test, height (cm) and bodyweight (kg) were defined as independent variables. To explore correlation between change in AC and change in MS from 34 to 63 years of age, data from Åstrand’s ergometer cycle test and the THL was used. Differences between repeated measures of VO2max (L/min), bodyweight (kg) and MS (kp) were calculated as quotients that could be analysed with multiple linear regression. A dependent t-test was executed to find out if there was any statistical difference between change in VO2max (L/min) and change in MS (kp) expressed as quotients between 63 and 34 years of age. Results: (Q1)THL showed to be a significant predictor for knee-extensor strength in the Biodex® (R = 0.78, p &lt;.001). (Q2) For the women (n = 67) there was a positive correlation between MS and VO2max (p &lt;.05) at 63 years of age. For the men (n = 74) the correlation was also significant (p &lt;.05) but inversed. At the age of 52 there was a positive correlation (p &lt;.05) for women but not significant for men, and at the age of 34 there was no significant correlation for neither women nor men. (Q3) Change in MS and change in AC did not correlate from 34 to 63 years of age, but from 34 to 52 years of age there was a significant correlation (p &lt;.05). This applied for both women (n = 42) and men (n = 48). (Q4) For the women there was no significant difference between change in MS and change in AC. The average decrease in MS was 7,2% and 15,7% in AC. For the men there was a significant difference between decrease in MS and decrease in AC (p &lt;0.001). The average decrease in MS was 4.5% and 26% in AC. The results were partly dependent on an unexplainable increase in performance on the THL from 52 to 63 years of age that could be due to a systematic measuring error.  Conclusion: The overall results indicate that there is an association between knee extensor muscle strength and VO2max that especially applies to individuals with low physical fitness. Further research with more reliable measuring methods of knee extensor strength is needed to better understand the relationship between muscle strength and aerobic capacity in the ageing population. / Bakgrund: Andelen äldre i befolkningen ökar globalt. Aerob kapacitet (AK) och muskelstyrka (MS) är viktiga faktorer för hälsa och livskvalitet. Både AK och MS minskar med ökad ålder. Ökad kunskap om hur longitudinella förändringar i AK och MS samvarierar skulle kunna leda till mer träffsäkra bedömningar och träningsrekommendationer beroende på ålder och träningsnivå. Syfte: Det övergripande syftet var att undersöka förändring av MS och AK från 34 till 63 års ålder och om det fanns en association mellan de båda variablerna. Specifika frågeställningar: (Q1) Är Tvåhandslyftet (THL) en valid mätmetod för styrka i knäextensor-muskulaturen jämfört med isokinetisk knäextension i Biodex®? (Q2) Finns det en korrelation mellan VO2max och styrka i knäextensor-muskulaturen på tvärsnittlig nivå i åldrarna 63, 52 and 34? (Q3) Finns det en korrelation mellan longitudinella förändringar i knäextensions-muskelstyrka och VO2max från 34 till 63 års ålder? (Q4) Är den longitudinella förändringen av fysisk kapacitet mellan 34 och 63 års ålder densamma i termer av MS och AK? Metod: Data från en svensk longitudinell, prospektiv kohortstudie (SPAF) som samlat objektiva mått på fysisk kapacitet och hälsa från samma urval av kvinnor och män sedan 1974 användes för statistisk analys. Multipel linjär regression användes för att undersöka begreppsvaliditeten avseende THL. Knäextensor-styrka (Nm) i Biodex® definierades som den beroende variabeln och kilogram kraft (kp) i THL, Jamar® handgreppstyrka (kg), kroppsvikt (kg), längd (cm) definierades som oberoende variabler, samt kön och Motionerar ja/nej som faktorer. En multipel linjär regressionsmodell användes för att undersöka korrelation mellan MS och AK vid 63 års ålder. VO2max (l/min) beräknat enligt Ekblom- Baks ergometercykeltest definierades som den beroende variabeln. MS (kp) i Tvåhandslyft- testet, längd (cm) och kroppsvikt (kg) definierades som oberoende variabler. För att undersöka korrelation mellan förändring av AK och förändring av MS från 34 till 63 års ålder användes data från Åstrands ergometercykeltest och THL. Skillnaden mellan upprepade mätningar av VO2max (l/min), kroppsvikt (kg) och muskelstyrka (kp) beräknades till kvoter som kunde analyseras med multipel linjär regression. Ett parat t-test användes för att ta reda på om det var någon statistisk skillnad mellan förändring av VO2max (l/min) och förändring av muskelstyrka (kp) uttryckt som kvoter mellan 63 och 34 års ålder. Resultat: (Q1) THL visade sig vara en statistiskt significant prediktor för knäextensionsstyrka i Biodex® (R = 0.78, p &lt;.001). (Q2) För kvinnorna (n = 67) var det en positiv korrelation mellan muskelstyrka och VO2max (p &lt;.05) vid 63 års ålder. För männen (n = 74) var korrelationen också signifikant (p &lt;.05) men hade en negativ riktning. (Q3) Förändring av muskelstyrka och förändring av VO2max korrelerade inte från 34 till 63 års ålder, men däremot från 34 till 52 års ålder (p &lt;0.05). Detta gällde både kvinnor (n = 42) och män (n = 48). (Q4) För kvinnorna var det ingen signifikant skillnad mellan förändring av muskelstyrka och förändring av VO2max. Den genomsnittliga minskningen i muskelstyrka var 7,2% respektive 15,7% i VO2max. För männen var det en significant skillnad i minskning mellan muskelstyrka och VO2max (p &lt;0.001). Den genomsnittliga minskningen i MS var 4.5% respektive 26% för VO2max. Resultaten berodde delvis på en oförklarlig ökning av prestation i Tvåhandslyft-testet från 52 till 63 års ålder som kan bero på ett systematiskt mätfel. Slutsats: Sammantaget pekar resultaten mot att det finns en association mellan styrka i knäextensor-muskulaturen och VO2max som särskilt gäller individer med låg fysiskkapacitet. Mer forskning med mer reliabla mätmetoder behövs för att bättre förstå sambandet mellan MS och AK i en åldrande population.

Abstract   The development and onset of diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Type 2 diabetes are closely linked to genetics and lifestyle factors including physical activity and diet. A cluster of metabolic disorders called the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a high-risk factor in developing these diseases. Acording to the International diabetes institute, one fourth of the worlds adult population has MetS. These individuals are twice as likely to die from CVDs compared to individuals without MetS. Physical activity (PA) and exercise has been shown to provide a number of positive effects that are considered to reduce the risk of developing sickness and premature mortality among both men and women of all ages, independent of other risk factors.     Therefore our objective with this litterature-study was to establish the components of MetS, the relationship between PA, cardiorespiratory fitness and MetS, and the effects of exercise on MetS through intervention-studies.   Results: There are several components included in MetS and to be diagnosed with it you have to have at least three of the following: Abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, abnormal glucose levels and/or low levels of HDL cholesterol. Close connections can be found between PA and CRF, and there are strong indications that an increase in PA and/or CRF have positive effects on the various components in MetS. This is supported by numerous intervention-studies with physical exercise targeting metabolic factors included in MetS.   Conclusion: The results indicate that PA and CRF have an important role to play in the prevention and treatment of the various components included in MetS. These variables can also, to some degree, predict the risk of developing MetS.     Key words: Metabolic syndrome, physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, relationship

The current study examined the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness on differences by sex, race/ethnicity, and SES on BMI, depressive symptoms, and school absences among adolescents. a cross-sectional study was conducted in a north Texas school district, which included 609 Caucasian/Whites, 293 Hispanic/Latinos, and 113 African-American/Black adolescents (10-14 years). Main results of the study showed that that cardiorespiratory fitness was the largest predictor of BMI, followed by race/ethnicity, and then sex. Cardiorespiratory fitness among adolescents was inversely associated with BMI. the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness on BMI appeared to be more salient for non-Hispanic white females and non-Hispanic black females in that the former group had lower BMI scores than the latter group when cardiorespiratory fitness was taken into account; however, results showed that non-Hispanic white females and non-Hispanic black females had similar cardiorespiratory fitness level. Other results showed that SES and sex predicted depressive symptoms in that low SES females endorsed more depressive symptoms relative to high SES males; however, this relationship was non-existent when cardiorespiratory fitness was entered into the model. Additionally, findings indicated that BMI and depressive symptoms equally predicted school absences in that adolescents who had a higher BMI and endorsed more depressive symptoms had more school absences.

Introdução - O envelhecimento traz consigo alterações da composição corporal que podem ser desencadeadas ou agravadas pelo estilo de vida. A presença simultânea da reduzida massa magra, da osteopenia (reduzida densidade óssea) e da obesidade emerge como possível fator de risco para morbimortalidade de forma mais proeminente do que quando tais parâmetros são considerados separadamente. Objetivo - Investigar a prevalência da presença concomitante da obesidade, da osteopenia e da reduzida massa magra em amostra de indivíduos a partir dos 50 anos; e avaliar se a presença simultânea dessas alterações está associada a menores concentrações de 25- hidroxivitamina D [25(OH)D], a pior perfil glicêmico e lipídico, ao reduzido gasto energético e nível de atividades físicas e à pior aptidão cardiorrespiratória. Métodos - Trata-se de estudo transversal com 218 indivíduos (52% do sexo feminino), de 63 (59 - 69) anos, participantes do ISA-Capital 2015 e ISA Nutrição 2015. A composição corporal foi obtida por DXA. Ajustou-se a massa gorda (kg) pela altura ao quadrado e a obesidade foi estabelecida quando >9kg/m2 para homens e >13kg/m2 para mulheres. A reduzida massa magra (MM) foi definida como MM apendicular/IMC <0,789 e <0,512 para homens e mulheres, respectivamente. T-score <-1,0 na coluna lombar e/ou colo do fêmur determinou a osteopenia. Os indivíduos foram agrupados de acordo com a presença/ausência dessas condições. Considerou-se como desfechos a força de preensão manual, as concentrações de 25(OH)D, os perfis lipídico e glicêmico e hábitos de vida (atividades físicas e ingestão alimentar). Uma subamostra de 43 indivíduos (55% sexo masculino), de 65 (62-71) anos foi selecionada para avaliação da aptidão cardiorrespiratória em esteira rolante, da taxa metabólica de repouso (TMR), por calorimetria indireta, e do gasto energético total (GET), por água duplamente marcada. Resultados - 50 dos 218 indivíduos (23%) apresentavam obesidade associada à reduzida MM e/ou à osteopenia, sendo que 14 (6%) destes apresentavam a combinação dos 3 componentes. A obesidade combinada a 1 ou 2 outras alterações de composição corporal foi associada a concentrações mais reduzidas de 25(OH)D (-3 ng/ml), à pior sensibilidade à insulina, à maior gordura visceral, à menor força muscular, ao maior tempo despendido em atividades sedentárias e à reduzida ingestão proteica por quilo de peso corporal. Adicionalmente, a análise da subamostra (N = 43) revelou haver pior aptidão cardiorrespiratória (-5 ml/kg/min no VO2pico), maior TMR (+300 kcal/dia) e GET (+140 kcal/dia), sem diferença, porém, quanto ao gasto energético em atividades físicas quando presença dessa condição. Esses resultados foram independentes da idade, do sexo e das concentrações de 25(OH)D. Conclusões - A prevalência da obesidade associada à reduzida MM e/ou à osteopenia foi de 23%. Tal condição foi associada à pior perfil de risco para manutenção dessas alterações de composição corporal, para inabilidade física, para doenças cardiovasculares e para mortalidade. Diante de um contexto de envelhecimento populacional atrelado a mudanças comportamentais desfavoráveis, esses resultados emergem a necessidade de estratégias a fim de se prevenir a evolução de um estado de alteração isolada de composição corporal para um estado de coexistência dessas alterações. / Introduction - Aging is related to changes in body composition that can be driven or worsen according to the lifestyle. Given the impact of obesity, osteopenia (low bone density), and reduced lean mass, it is suggested that their concomitant presence would even increase the risk for morbimortality. Objective - To investigate the prevalence of the concomitant obesity, low lean mass and osteopenia in a sample of adults aged from 50 years and evaluate if simultaneous disturbances on body composition are associated with lower 25-hidroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], worse lipid and glycemic profile, lower total energy expenditure and physical activity level, and poorer cardiorespiratory fitness. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 218 individuals (52% female), aged 63 (59 - 69) years recruited from the ISA-Capital 2015 and ISA Nutrição 2015. Appendicular lean mass (ALM), fat mass and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured by DXA. Obesity was defined as fat mass (kg) divided by height squared >9 kg/m2 and >13kg/m2 for men and women, respectively. Low lean mass (LM) was defined as ALM/BMI <0.789 and <0.512 for men and women, respectively. Osteopenia was defined as T-score at lumbar spine and/or femoral neck lower < -1.0. Subjects were then clustered into subgroups according to the presence/absence of body composition disturbances. Outcomes included grip strength, 25(OH)D concentrations, lipid and glycemic profiles, and lifestyle (physical activity and food intake). From the 218 participants we extracted a subsample of 43 (55% male), aged 65 (62-71) years to assess their cardiorespiratory fitness on a treadmill, resting energy expenditure (REE) by indirect calorimetry, and total energy expenditure (TEE) by doubly labeled water. Results - From the 218 individuals, 50 (23%) showed obesity associated with low LM and/or osteopenia, with 14 (6%) showing the concomitant 3 disturbances of body composition. A condition of obesity plus low LM and/or osteopenia was associated with reduced serum VD (-3 ng/ml), lower insulin sensitivity, higher visceral adiposity, lower grip strength, longer time spent in sedentary activities, and reduced protein intake by body weight. The subsample analysis (N = 43) showed worse cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak 5 ml/kg/min lower), higher REE (+300 kcal/day) and TEE (+140 kcal/day) than those without body composition disturbances, with no difference in total amount of energy expended in physical activities. Age, sex, and VD concentrations did not change the results. Conclusions - The prevalence of concomitant obesity and low LM and/or osteopenia was 23%. Such condition was associated with risk factors to the maintenance of these body composition disturbances, physical disabilities, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality. Considering these results in a context of population aging and lifestyle changes indicate the need to define strategies to better screening those at higher risk and avoiding that an isolated body composition disturbance state become a concurrent state.

<p>During the past few years there has been an observed decrease in physical fitness within different patient groups. As a part of the rehabilitating physiotherapy treatment it is important to acknowledge the physical condition of the patient. Physical fitness testing might be difficult due to physical limitations within different patient groups. A broad range of exercise tests is therefore of importance in clinical practice. The aim of this overview was to describe exercise tests used in rehabilitation contexts, and to define areas of use and restrictions. The method was a systematic literature overview and data was gathered through medical and healthcare databases. Scientific articles were selected and put together to answer the questions in the overview. The result showed that exercise tests mainly described in the literature were tests performed on a bicycle ergometer, treadmill tests and walking tests. The tests were in several cases combined with rating scales. The tests were performed as submaximal or maximal tests to estimate VO₂max or VO₂Peak. Exercise testing was commonly used in rehabilitation of cardiac- and vascular diseases, pulmonary diseases and spinal cord injuries. Evaluation of an exercise program was the most common reason for using an exercise test. The question concerning restrictions of the tests could not be answered. The conclusion was that the most common exercise test was performed on a bicycle ergometer. Maximal VO₂Peak or VO₂max testing were mainly performed. The most common area for exercise testing was cardiac- and vascular rehabilitation. The most common purpose for performing an exercise test was evaluation of an exercise program. Further research is required in order to describe restrictions and implementations of the tests.</p>

During the past few years there has been an observed decrease in physical fitness within different patient groups. As a part of the rehabilitating physiotherapy treatment it is important to acknowledge the physical condition of the patient. Physical fitness testing might be difficult due to physical limitations within different patient groups. A broad range of exercise tests is therefore of importance in clinical practice. The aim of this overview was to describe exercise tests used in rehabilitation contexts, and to define areas of use and restrictions. The method was a systematic literature overview and data was gathered through medical and healthcare databases. Scientific articles were selected and put together to answer the questions in the overview. The result showed that exercise tests mainly described in the literature were tests performed on a bicycle ergometer, treadmill tests and walking tests. The tests were in several cases combined with rating scales. The tests were performed as submaximal or maximal tests to estimate VO2max or VO2Peak. Exercise testing was commonly used in rehabilitation of cardiac- and vascular diseases, pulmonary diseases and spinal cord injuries. Evaluation of an exercise program was the most common reason for using an exercise test. The question concerning restrictions of the tests could not be answered. The conclusion was that the most common exercise test was performed on a bicycle ergometer. Maximal VO2Peak or VO2max testing were mainly performed. The most common area for exercise testing was cardiac- and vascular rehabilitation. The most common purpose for performing an exercise test was evaluation of an exercise program. Further research is required in order to describe restrictions and implementations of the tests.