Aerobic Capacity Prediction (METs) Calculator
- Aerobic Capacity Prediction by METs: Explanation and Clinical Context
Aerobic capacity, measured in metabolic equivalents or METs, reflects the maximum oxygen consumption during physical activity and serves as a direct marker of cardiorespiratory fitness. This calculator predicts expected aerobic capacity based on age and sex using validated population formulas. Aerobic capacity consistently demonstrates a strong association with cardiovascular morbidity and all cause mortality across large cohorts of asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals.
Higher MET levels correlate with improved survival. In men without known cardiovascular disease, an aerobic capacity below five METs indicates approximately five times greater mortality risk compared with individuals achieving more than eight METs. Each additional increment of one MET is associated with a twelve percent improvement in survival. In women, an aerobic capacity lower than five METs is associated with a substantially elevated mortality risk, with hazard ratios reported between two point zero and four point seven depending on the cohort studied. A gain of one MET is linked to a seventeen percent reduction in mortality risk. These findings underscore that aerobic capacity is a powerful clinical predictor independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Clinicians frequently use MET estimation for assessing functional capacity before surgery, guiding exercise prescription, determining prognosis in heart failure, and evaluating training responses in preventive cardiology. Values significantly lower than predicted for age and sex may indicate deconditioning, underlying cardiopulmonary disease, or limitations requiring further evaluation. Meanwhile, values near or above predicted norms point toward adequate fitness and favorable long term risk.
Reference
Gulati M, et al. Prognostic value of exercise capacity in women. Circulation. 2003;108:1554 to 1559.
Myers J, et al. Exercise capacity and mortality among men referred for exercise testing. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:793 to 801.
Arena R and Lavie CJ. The importance of cardiorespiratory fitness in the United States. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2015;90:1515 to 1517.
AHA Scientific Statement. Importance of assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical practice. Circulation. 2016;134:e653 to e699.
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