Hypothesis testExercise Physiology

VO2 Max (Bruce Protocol)

VO2 max represents the maximum amount of oxygen a person can utilize during intense exercise, measured in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). Developed by Robert Bruce in 1963, the Bruce Protocol is a graded maximal exercise test on a motorized treadmill that incrementally increases speed and incline until the subject reaches volitional exhaustion. This test is a gold standard in clinical and sports medicine for assessing cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic capacity.

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Sources

  1. Bruce, R. A. (1963). Evaluation of functional capacity and exercise tolerance of cardiac patients. Modern Concepts of Cardiovascular Disease, 32(4), 1-4. link
  2. Karvonen, M. J., Kentala, E., & Mustala, O. (1957). The effects of training on heart rate: a longitudinal study. Annales Medicinae Experimentalis et Biologiae Fenniae, 35, 307-315. link
  3. Åstrand, P. O., & Ryhming, I. (1952). A nomogram for calculation of aerobic capacity (physical fitness) from pulse rate during submaximal work. Journal of Applied Physiology, 7(2), 218-221. DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1954.7.2.218

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Referenced by

ScholarGateVO2 Max (Bruce Protocol) (Maximal Oxygen Uptake Assessment via Bruce Treadmill Protocol). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/sports-science/vo2-max