The Validity of the YMCA 3-Minute Step Test for Estimating Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Healthy Korean and Vietnamese Adults

Nguyen Thi Van Kieu; Su-Jin Jung; Sang-Wook Shin; Han-Wool Jung; Eun-Soo Jung; Yu Hui Won; Young-Gon Kim; Soo-Wan Chae

doi:10.15280/jlm.2020.10.1.21

The Validity of the YMCA 3-Minute Step Test for Estimating Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Healthy Korean and Vietnamese Adults

J Lifestyle Med. 2020 Jan 31;10(1):21-29. doi: 10.15280/jlm.2020.10.1.21.

Authors

Nguyen Thi Van Kieu^{1

2

3}, Su-Jin Jung^{1

4}, Sang-Wook Shin⁵, Han-Wool Jung⁴, Eun-Soo Jung¹, Yu Hui Won⁶, Young-Gon Kim^{1

4

7}, Soo-Wan Chae^{1

4

2}

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Trial Center for Functional Foods, Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
² Department of Pharmacology, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
³ Department of Rehabilitation, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue, Vietnam.
⁴ Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
⁵ Department of Medical Nutrition Therapy, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea.
⁶ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
⁷ Department of Urology, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.

Abstract

Background: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a fundamental component of physical fitness. While maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) is the gold standard for quantifying CRF, standard maximal exercise tests using direct measurements VO₂max are dependent on the availability of laboratory equipment, and thereby expensive and time consuming. Recently, an equation was formulated to indirectly estimate VO₂max using the YMCA 3-minute step test.

Methods: The study included 15 Korean (KR) and 15 Vietnamese (VN) healthy adults aged 19-35 years. All subjects completed a YMCA 3-minute step test (YMCA 3MST) and a maximal exercise treadmill test to predict VO₂max and VO₂max measures, respectively.

Results: There was a significant relationship between VO₂max predicted from the YMCA 3MST and actual VO₂max measurements from the treadmill test (r = 0.80, p < 0.0001; KR group: r = 0.81, p < 0.0001; VN group: r = 0.93, p < 0.0001). Bland-Altman analysis revealed statistical agreement between tests, although there was a systematic overestimation of 3.36 mL/kg/min for the KR group.

Conclusion: The equation for predicting VO₂max from the YMCA 3MST was validated among the study subjects. However, future research should explore the validity and reliability of the YMCA 3MST equation for estimating VO₂max in other populations.

Keywords: Cardiorespiratory fitness; Exercise testing; Maximum oxygen uptake; Step test; VO2max.