A measure of cardiovascular (or cardiopulmonary) fitness, in which people exert themselves while having their heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and electrocardiographic response monitored. A treadmill or ergometer is typically used as the testing device. The amount of exercise the patient must perform is increased gradually over several minutes, until the patient experiences excessive symptoms (such as fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, or claudication) or until objective findings of cardiopulmonary malfunction are demonstrated (such as arrhythmias, decreases in blood pressure, or ST-segment changes on the electrocardiogram).
Exercise tolerance test is a test of aerobic capacity in which a person exercises while heart rate and oxygen consumption are measured. A maximal effort on a treadmill or bicycle ergometer is an example. This test gives an excellent measure of overall physiological functioning.