How does the fitness test work on Precor cardio equipment?

This test predicts a user's fitness level by monitoring heart rate during a preprogrammed course. The basic protocol - including the course definition and the analysis algorithm were developed in 1992 by Dr. Neil Gordon of the Cooper Clinic. In 2002, Dr. Emily Cooper, of Seattle Performance Medicine, assisted Precor to calibrate the Fitness Test to predict results shown through VO2 max testing. As such, the test is clinically designed, extremely accurate as a model, and a great guideline to predict a person's fitness level. Because the exerciser's heart rate is a factor, this metric can be more specific to an individual than generalized formulas such as METs. While the fitness test provides solid information as a predictor of a person's fitness, the test still isn't the equivalent to tests such as gas-exchange or blood lactate protocols conducted at a medical or fitness facility.