Over the course of the test, the athlete progresses up through various levels (lasting just over a minute each), with the beeps getting faster at each new level reached. Each run must be synchronised with a pre-recorded audio track which plays beeps (hence the name ‘beep test’) at regular intervals. Simply, the test involves running back and forth between two points 20m apart. Having done the test, working out your estimated VO2 max is simply a matter of applying an equation to the level you get on the bleep test. It’s a scientific measure of how fit you are and is important in determining your endurance capacity in exercise where you’re not flat-out sprinting all the time. VO2 max is simply your maximum oxygen uptake, or your maximal aerobic capacity. Over 30 years later it’s still in popular use because it remains a great way to measure a person’s all-important VO2 max levels. The beep test was created by Luc Leger of the University of Montreal way back in 1983, as a simple running test designed to test a person’s fitness levels. If you’re simply able to mark out a 20m distance, download an mp3 or use a handy app on your phone, then within 15 minutes you’ll know how you measure up. And it’s brilliantly simple – you don’t need any fancy equipment. The great news is that the bleep test gives you an objective measurement to work out if your fitness is up to the level you need. In short, it’s a great tool for working out if your fitness levels are up to scratch. It is an extremely simple but powerful test that allows you to estimate your VO2 capacity and benchmark yourself. Whatever the name, the test is a standardised assessment of a person’s fitness levels. Most formally it is known as the ‘multi stage fitness test’, but also goes under the title of the ‘Leger test’, ‘pacer test’ and ‘20m shuttle run test’. The bleep (or beep) test has a variety of names.

Beep test measurements