Stroke Volume and V02 Max

Hopefully another PT or intelligent member can answer this. I'm taking the ACE exam on August 8th and really can't grasp how to sufficiently measure these two. I know there will be a lot of mathematical "what if" type problems involving how to measure the two.

I'm unsure of the formulas and how to really work them.

Stroke volume is the amount of blood that leaves each ventricle each time the heart beats but I'm finding this extremely difficult to measure without machine technology. I know that during the ejection fraction where the heart is at rest only 50% of the blood is pumped in systole so the other 50% is left in the heart during diastole (but to  be pumped out a fraction of a second later) and that during most aerobic exercise where the demand of oxygen at the muscle is more important the ejection fraction decreases sometimes to 0% of the blood being left in the heart during diastole.

But I still don't understand how exactly you measure it without machine just by checking the pulse.

Most questions I've ran into have asked the cardiac output which before you can calculate the the cardiac output you'd have to know the persons stroke volume, I don't understand how you could measure that stroke volume really without machines. But maybe someone else does?

Thanks for any replies.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

I don't know how to measure your stroke volume without any machines but finding your VO2 max can be done by anyone.

This one of the many tests that can be used.

Find a track, where you can measure your distance, bring a stopwatch, and run as fast as you can for 12 minutes. Keep track of how many meters your ran in 12 minutes, and use the following formula:

(Distance Covered in Meters - 504.9) / 44.73 = ESTIMATED VO2 MAX (units are ml/kg/minute)

This Bird You Cannot Change

Haha, life saver! Thanks man. I got a reply on another board concerning the cardiac output. They said machines measure those and physicians usually grant you that information.

But ok, so if you have someone that ran 1609.344 Meters (which is 1 mile) this formula would be used.

1609.344 - 504.9 / 44.73 = 24.691 as the V02 Max?

Thanks!

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Thats good equation to know, NASM nor NFPT taught me that. However, i was under the impression you needed to be hooked up to a machine to get your the true numbers

YOU GOTTA EAT BIG, TO BE BIG!!

NASM certified trainer
NFPT certified trainer

Winter Bulk goal:245-250 by dec 31
Current weight: 235

That is the cooper test.  It works well but you can only use it on a trained individual.  A fat ass straight off the couch is not going to yield accurate results because they most likely will not even be able to run for 12 minutes straight, let alone one minute.  I usually just do distance-505 divided by 45.  Which is exactly what propud said but rounded.

Where does the minutes come into the equations? Does the stroke volume deal with V02 Max?

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Well, after reviewing Chapter 1 and not missing a single sentence. Here's the conclusion.

PT's aren't entitled to calculate most of this stuff, just know the formulas and know how to vary the intensity and duration depended upon this.

VO2 = Exercising BPM X's Exercising SV.

VO2 Max = Distance - 505 / 45.

Q = SV X's HR

I think I've got it. Thanks guys.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant