Development and validation of a one-mile treadmill walk test to predict peak oxygen uptake in healthy adults ages 40 to 79 years.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the Rockport one-mile walk test equation to predict maximal oxygen uptake was valid for application to treadmill walking. When the Rockport model was found to be inappropriate, a new regression model was developed for predicting peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) from a one-mile treadmill walk. 304 healthy volunteers ages 40 to 79 years (mean age = 57.6 years, 154 men and 150 women) completed a VO2peak test and a one-mile treadmill walk. Stepwise regression was used to build a model for the relationship between VO2peak and a variety of predictor variables in a sub-sample development group (n = 154). This new model was then applied to a sub-sample validation group (n = 150). The new equation produced a correlation of 0.87, SEE = 4.7 ml x kg (-1) x min (-1) with a mean residual of 0.96 ml x kg (-1) x min (-1). The equation for predicting VO2peak developed in this investigation provides a means of assessing VO2peak that is easy to administer, allows for careful supervision of subjects, and can be completed at a low financial and temporal cost.