Physical Performance Lab Report

Physical Performance Lab Terms

VO2 Max

VO2 max is the maximal oxygen uptake or the maximum volume of oxygen that can be utilized in one minute during maximal or exhaustive exercise. It is measured as milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight.

VO2 max or maximal oxygen uptake is one factor that can determine an athlete’s capacity to perform sustained exercise and is linked to aerobic endurance. It is generally considered the best indicator of cardiorespiratory endurance and aerobic fitness.

Elite endurance athletes typically have a high VO2 max. Some studies indicate that it is largely due to genetics, although training has been shown to increase VO2 max up to 20 percent. A major goal of most endurance training programs is to increase this number.

Forced Vital Capacity

Forced vital capacity (FVC) is the amount of air which can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs after taking the deepest breath possible, measured in liters.

Forced vital capacity is the maximum volume of air that can be exhaled from one’s lungs. The reason why this is measured is because we do not naturally utilize all of our lungs when we breathe. This measures how much of our lungs that we do use. The higher the score, the more air our lungs can hold; the more air our lungs can hold, the more oxygen that is available to our body. Without oxygen, our body can be overworked and tires faster.

A normal adult has a vital capacity between 3 and 5 liters. A human’s vital capacity depends on age, sex, height, mass, and ethnicity.

Actual/Predicted FVC Ratio

This is the volume of air that has been exhaled at the end of the first second of forced exhalation. Predicted normal values can be dependent on age, sex, height, mass, and ethnicity, as well as the research study that they are based upon.