Predict Vo₂ Max (aerobic fitness level)

Over 15 years of testing on over 100 subjects from 6 to 81 years old

Exercise prescriptions are provided for running, walking, cycling and stepping

Measure the effect of diet, exercise and illness on fitness

Features list for the Universal Fitness Tester

Includes software with patented technology, a pulse monitor ...

Frequently Asked Questions

Bibliography of Books and Trade Journals

The people who developed the Universal Fitness Tester

Methods of measuring aerobic fitness, fitness norms in the population...

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who can benefit by the UFT?
Why do I need to test my fitness?
What is unique about the UFT?, why should I buy it?
How accurate is the UFT?
I work out at a gym where I can test my fitness. What can the UFT tell me that cannot be determined at the gym?

Who can benefit by the UFT?

The UFT could be used by everybody who is concerned with exercise and health. This includes three main categories: Individual, family use and group use. The latter category includes an endless list of users, where fitness assessment has been important, but until now was very difficult or impossible to determine. Examples include fitness centers, medical centers, schools, sports and recreational clubs, military, police, fire fighters, etc. For the first time, fitness of unlimited number of people can be easily determined, categorized and tracked over time, and exercise can be prescribed based on fitness levels.

Why do I need to test my fitness?

There are two main reason why you should test your fitness:

1) Fitness (mainly aerobic fitness) is related to health. Numerous studies have shown that lack of exercise is a major risk factor for the development of the two leading causes of death in the industrial world: Cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Fitness is more important for the prevention and management of coronary artery disease than any of the other major factors such as body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking. Exercise reduces the risk of dying from a heart attack. Exercise also reduces the incidents of various types of cancers involving the colon, breast, prostate, lung, and others. Other health related effects of exercise include reductions in bone density loss and in the rate of occurrence of stroke, and improvements in the functioning of the immune system, management of diabetes, and the control of joint pain in arthritis. In short, being fit generally indicates a healthy condition. Being unfit makes you susceptible to various diseases.

2) Aerobic fitness indicates the capability to perform prolonged work. Fit people can work or play for prolonged periods without fatigue. Unfit people are limited in what they can do.

What is unique about the UFT? Why should I buy it?

The UFT is a new, patented, method to measure aerobic fitness. It provides, for the first time, a quick and easy way to predict a very important health and fitness indicator - maximal oxygen uptake. The UFT consists of stepping on a stool for 30 seconds at a comfortable rate, while the pulse is monitored. Certain pulse characteristics, plus age, sex, and weight are used to calculate your fitness. The results are displayed on the computer screen and include maximal oxygen uptake values, as well as fitness scores and categories (age adjusted). Comparisons can be made of your fitness level with the distribution of aerobic fitness in the entire population. All other methods to determine or predict aerobic fitness are usually very exhaustive, expensive, and they provide little information.

Due to its quick and easy nature, the UFT can be used for a variety of purposes such as monitoring of changes in fitness during training, detraining, weight loss regimens, illness and recovery, and fitness screening for various jobs and sports.

The UFT system can recommend an individualized exercise prescription program, based on one’s fitness. Four modes of exercise are included: Walking/running on level ground, treadmill, cycling, and stepping. The recommendations include exercise intensity and duration, calories used, target heart rate, and the percent effort involved.

History of your fitness can be obtained over desired time periods.

The UFT can be used to determine the effects of various environmental factors on fitness, such as the effect of heat and high altitude.

For the first time, it is now possible to determine the degree of fatigue experienced after engaging in any type of exercise. This is made possible by the quick and easy way in which the UFT measures your fitness. The UFT results correspond to the degree of fatigue caused by exercise. When tested soon after exercise, the UFT scores are lower than those obtained in a rested condition. When fully recovered from exercise, the UFT results are the same as in the pre exercise condition.

The UFT uses a pulse sensor that can be used to monitor your pulse at rest and during exercise.

How accurate is the UFT?

Tests were conducted on over 100 male and female subjects ages 6 to 81 years. The following are results from the tests.

The UFT provides a very good prediction of maximal oxygen uptake. The correlation coefficient between maximal oxygen uptake values predicted by the UFT and directly determined values (15 minute tests of maximal oxygen uptake) is r = 0.93 with a standard error of 7 percent. This means that in 68 cases out of 100, the error in the prediction of aerobic fitness will not exceed +/- 7 %.

The UFT is very reliable, very similar results are obtained upon repeated testing. The correlation coefficient between two tests conducted a few minutes apart is r = 0.96 with a standard error of 5 percent.

Many other tests have been performed over several years where subjects were tested before and during training and/or weight loss regimens; before and after exercise or illness ;during growth (in children, for several years), and before and during exposure to heat or high altitude. In all cases, the UFT results have shown the known or expected changes in fitness such as increases with training, decreases after illness, exercise or exposures to heat and high altitude, and the increases in maximal oxygen uptake during childhood and adolescence.

I work out at a gym where I can test my fitness. What can the UFT tell me that cannot be determined at the gym?

Some treadmills and ergometers provide the capability for fit tests that can be performed during exercise, and usually last 15 minutes. These tests provide limited information. The UFT allows you to easily (30 seconds) test yourself at your convenience at any time. The results are shown on the computer screen. The history of your fitness can be displayed, and an individualized fitness program can be prescribed to you.