These tours are designed for 12 U Exercise Sciences classes. The tours last approximately 75 minutes and are intended to introduce students to commonly used tests of human performance and body composition. The tours are led by a doctoral student in the Department of Kinesiology and consist of the following:
A 20 minute PowerPoint introduction and overview of the scientific rationale for commonly used tests of human physical performance and body composition.
A 40 minute "hands on" laboratory demonstration of a maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) test, Wingate test and body composition test using state-of-the-art scientific testing equipment. (See short descriptions of these tests below.)
A 15 minute summary and question and answer period designed to allow students to learn more about the Kinesiology program and/or the facilities and programs offered by the Department of Athletics and Recreation.
Cost is $200.00 plus HST = $226.00 for a class of up to 30 students. Payment should be made by cheque (payable to McMaster University) at the time of the tour.
The Department of Athletics and Recreation at McMaster offers many experiential learning initiatives that can be customized to meet the needs of any group. For additional information, visit their website at:
VO2max test. Determination of the maximal amount of oxygen that can be utilized by the body, and considered the "gold standard" measure of cardiorespiratory fitness. It is the most common test of performance for athletes who compete in endurance sports (e.g., cycling, running). The test involves exercising at progressively higher workloads on a stationary cycle or treadmill while breath samples are collected through a mouthpiece.
Wingate Test. Determination of maximal power output during a 30 second "all out" sprint on a specialized cycle ergometer. The Wingate Test is extremely demanding and maximally stresses the body's aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. It is the most commonly used test of performance for athletes who compete in strength/power sports, or those who perform short repeated bursts of activity (e.g., hockey, rugby, soccer).
Body composition test. This test consists of measuring a person's body mass, using a very accurate electronic scale, and body volume, which is determined by sitting inside the BOD POD chamber. The BOD POD provides information on fat and fat-free mass, resting metabolic rate and an estimate of a person's daily energy (calorie) requirement.
