Chester Treadmill Police Walk Test (CTPWT)
The Chester Treadmill Police Walk Fitness Test is a multistage treadmill test of aerobic capacity, developed by Professor Kevin Sykes from the University of Chester, specifically developed for the Police Service of England and Wales. The test is an adaptation of the Chester Treadmill Test (CTWT). This test is an alternative to the 15m Bleep test based on medical grounds for those deemed unsuited to the twists, turns, sharp acceleration/deceleration of 15m shuttle running. See also the Chester Step Test.
equipment: treadmill with ability to change gradient, stopwatch, RPE chart.
pre-test: Explain the test procedures to the subject. Perform screening of health risks and obtain informed consent. Prepare forms and record basic information such as age, height, body weight, gender, test conditions. Calibrate the treadmill speed and gradient. See more details of pre-test procedures.
procedure: The treadmill is set at 6 km/hr for all of the test. The gradient starts at 0% gradient for the first two minutes. At the end of the level check if the RPE is less than 18. If so, increase the gradient and continue the test. The gradient is increased by 3% after every two minutes, as long as the RPE remains less than 18 and subject shows no signs of distress. The test ends after 12 minutes. (see table below)
| level | time (minutes) | gradient (%) | equiv. VO2 (ml/O2/min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0-2 | 0 | 14 |
| 2 | 2-4 | 3 | 19 |
| 3 | 4-6 | 6 | 24 |
| 4 | 6-8 | 9 | 30 |
| 5 | 8-10 | 12 | 35 |
| 6 | 10-12 | 15 | 41 |
scoring: the target time is a duration of between 10 and 12 minutes - the minimum recommended aerobic fitness standard for the UK Police force.
considerations: this test could be a maximal test for some individuals, and therefore care should be taken to ensure the test is stopped if the subject is unable to keep up with the workrate and becomes overly distressed.
references
- Sykes K. Fitness for Fire and Rescue. Standards, Protocols and Policy. In: Stevenson R, Wilsher P, eds. United Kingdom: Firefit Steering Group, 2009.
- Sykes K. The Chester Treadmill Police Walk Test. United Kingdom: Cartwright Fitness, 2015.
- Morris M, Deery E, Sykes K. Chester treadmill police tests as alternatives to 15-m shuttle running. Occup Med (Lond). 2019 Apr 13;69(2):133-138. - CONCLUSIONS: The CTPWT and the CTPRT provide a valid and reliable alternative to the 15-m MSFT.
Similar Tests
- Chester Treadmill Police Run Test — run at 10.4 km/hr on a treadmill, increasing the gradient every 2 minutes.
- Chester Treadmill Test — walking at 6.2km/hr on a treadmill, increasing gradient by 3% every 2 minutes.
- Astrand Treadmill Test — running at 5mph with a 2.5% increase in gradient every two minutes, until exhaustion.
Related Pages
- Measuring/calibrating treadmill gradient
- Fitness testing for UK Police
- Other fitness tests conducted on treadmills
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