1. What is the Bruce Protocol METs Calculation?

The Bruce Protocol is a standardized treadmill test for assessing cardiovascular health and exercise capacity. The METs (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) calculation estimates the energy expenditure during the test based on the duration achieved.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Bruce Protocol equation:

Where:

• \( T \) — Exercise time in minutes on the Bruce Protocol treadmill test

Explanation: The equation provides a cubic regression model to estimate METs based on exercise duration, accounting for the increasing intensity of each stage in the Bruce Protocol.

3. Importance of METs Calculation

Details: METs estimation is crucial for assessing functional capacity, predicting cardiovascular risk, and guiding exercise prescription in cardiac rehabilitation.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the total exercise time in minutes (typically between 3-20 minutes for most patients). The time should reflect when the test was stopped due to symptoms or exhaustion.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a good METs score?
A: Generally, <5 METs indicates poor fitness, 5-8 moderate, 8-10 good, and >10 excellent capacity. However, norms vary by age and gender.

Q2: How does the Bruce Protocol work?
A: It's a graded exercise test where treadmill speed and incline increase every 3 minutes until exhaustion.

Q3: What are METs used for?
A: METs quantify exercise intensity and energy expenditure, useful for exercise prescription and assessing functional status.

Q4: Are there limitations to this calculation?
A: Accuracy decreases for very short (<3 min) or very long (>20 min) test durations. Actual METs may vary based on individual factors.

Q5: Can this be used for non-Bruce Protocol tests?
A: No, this equation is specific to the Bruce Protocol. Other protocols have different METs calculations.