The Talk Test The Talk Test The Poor Man’s Way to Gauge Exercise Training Intensity John P. Porcari, Ph.D., RCEP, FACSM, FAACVPR Department of Exercise and Sport Science University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Talk Test The recommendation is often made that people should exercise at an intensity where they can still carry on a normal conversation. Been around since at least Professor John Grayson at Oxford University advised English mountaineers to “climb no faster than you can talk” First appeared in ACSM Guidelines in 1991

Every Story Starts Someplace 1998

Components of an Exercise Program Frequency –5-7 x weekly Intensity –Hardest to define Time –20-60 min Type

Prescription of Exercise Training Intensity Objective markers –VO 2 & METs 40-85% VO 2 max or maximal METs 30/40-85% VO 2 reserve –Heart Rate 64-94% HRmax 40/50-85% HR reserve Limits of the “relative percent concept” –Wide prescriptive windows –Individual differences in anaerobic threshold Metabolic markers –Ventilatory threshold –Lactate threshold Subjective markers –RPE –Talk Test

ATP

Aerobic Anaerobic

Aerobic Anaerobic (CO 2 and H 2 0) (LAH) (LAH+ + H 2 CO 3 -  H 2 CO 3  CO 2 and H 2 O)

What does this have to do with anything? 2 studies: Katch et al., 1978 Dwyer et al., 1994 Dwyer et al., 1994 At 55% of HR reserve, 50% of cardiac At 55% of HR reserve, 50% of cardiac patients were above their anaerobic patients were above their anaerobic threshold and 50% were below threshold and 50% were below

HR Training Zone

What about Resting HR + 20 bpm? Wake Forest Group 11 cardiac rehab patients 4 were < 40% of VO 2 max 6 were within 40-60% of VO 2 max 1 was > 60% VO 2 max range was 25-65% of VO 2 max

BOTTOM LINE Even though you may prescribe the same prescription (target HRs) for two people, it may be more (or less) physiologically taxing for some people, and may be perceived to be more (or less) difficult for that individual. Thus, we need a way to individualize exercise prescription based on individual physiology.

Our research sought to: 1.Determine the relationship between the Talk Test and other physiological measures (e.g., VT, HR, VO 2, RPE, etc.). 2.Determine how we could translate this information into a useful exercise prescription in the clinic.

Terminology Last Positive Stage (+ TT) – the last stage where the person can speak comfortably Equivocal Stage (+/- TT) – the stage where speech begins to become difficult Negative Stage (- TT) – where the person can no longer speak comfortably

What Does the Talk Test Look Like?

Last + Stage vs VT M Dehart-Beverley et al. Clin Exerc Physiol 2: 34-38, 2000 N Shafer et al. JCRP 20: 289, 2000 S Voelker et al. Clin Exerc Physiol 4: , 2002 P Recalde et al. S Afri J Sports Med 9: 5-8, 2002 R Persinger et al. MSSE 36: , 2004

M Dehart-Beverley et al. Clin Exerc Physiol 2: 34-38, 2000 N Shafer et al. JCRP 20: 289, 2000 S Voelker et al. Clin Exerc Physiol 4: , 2002 P Recalde et al. S Afri J Sports Med 9: 5-8, 2002 R Persinger et al. MSSE 36: , 2004 Equivocal Stage vs VT

Negative Stage vs VT M Dehart-Beverley et al. Clin Exerc Physiol 2: 34-38, 2000 N Shafer et al. JCRP 20: 289, 2000 S Voelker et al. Clin Exerc Physiol 4: , 2002 P Recalde et al. S Afri J Sports Med 9: 5-8, 2002 R Persinger et al. MSSE 36: , 2004

A subsequent study in cardiac patients found that the last stage where subjects could pass the Talk Test corresponded to 64% of VO 2 max, 70% of HRmax, and an RPE of 13.

OK, the Talk Test Matches VO 2, HR and VT Markers of Exercise Capacity……Does it Work in Real Life?

How to develop an exercise prescription using the Talk Test Perform a Talk Test (speech evaluation): –Treadmill Walk at comfortable speed Start and 0% grade and increase 2% every 2 minutes Go up to Equivocal Stage (+/- TT) To set workload for training, go one stage below the last positive stage (LP-1) Example: Person walks at 2.2 mph; the equivocal stage occurs at 8% grade; 2.2 mph/6% grade was the last + stage; you would begin workouts at 2.2 mph and 4% grade; adjust workload based on RPE If working in METs, start workouts at.5-1 MET below METs at last + TT –Bike Start at ~ 20 watts and go up by 20 watts every 2 minutes

Translating GXT to Training

Does the Talk Test Reflect Changes in Exercise Intensity?

Can the Talk Test Prevent Exertional Myocardial Ischemia? Exertional ischemia is the one substantial danger in ExRx K Meyer (Eur Heart J 16: 623, 1995) has shown that the VT often precedes ST segment changes in patients with CAD CA Cannon et al. Am J Med Sport 6: 52-57, 2004

So, Where Does this Leave Us?

Summary Talk Test---a good ‘old idea’ Easy to perform Eliminates need for maximal exercise Accurately places exercisers in exercise intensity ranges defined by conventional criteria: –%HRmax –%VO 2 max –VT –RPE Apparently useful as tool for avoiding exertional ischemia Responsive to permutations in exercise capacity Easy to translate into exercise training intensity