The effect of an active arm action on heart rate and predicted VO2max during the Chester step test

This study examined whether the predictive outcomes of the Chester step test (CST) would be influenced by arm dynamics. Participants completed the CST on two separate occasions, once using active arms and once using passive arms. Results revealed that when compared to the passive arm protocol, the use of active arms led to a mean increase in heart rate of approximately 7 beats per minute across all of the incremental stages. However, this increase had little impact upon predicted VO2max. Consequently, these results indicate that when performing the CST, participants are able to adopt an arm action that is compatible with personal preference.