18 tests for determining biological age and health quantity
and “health quantity”
First, try to test yourself according to the table, – and you will learn your true age, and then, following the recommendations, determine your “health quantity”.
The best time for testing is in the morning, before breakfast. The indicators for women are 10% lower than those recorded in the table. Having gathered all the necessary information about yourself, mark against each of the 18 tests the age that corresponds to your result. Then add all the numbers of the ages you have scored and divide by the number of tests (18).
This will be your true age.
You need to bring the following to the session:
1. Stopwatch or clock with a second hand.
2. Measuring tape.
3. Blood pressure monitor.
4. Calculator.
5. Ruler.
* The indicators are provided for men. The indicators for women are 10% lower than those recorded in the table.
3. Cooper test. 1.5 miles is 2400 meters. The test is conducted on flat terrain at a very fast walk or run.
6. Stange test. While sitting, relax, take a deep breath, then exhale the same way, then immediately take a calm breath and hold your breath.
7. Genchi test. Take a deep breath, exhale, take another breath, then calmly exhale not completely and hold your breath, pinching your nose tightly.
8. Breathing normalization test. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly.
9. Pull-ups on the bar (each time to chin level) – only for men.
10. Squats should be done to completion with arms thrown forward.
12. Bondarevsky test. Standing, lift one leg, bending it at the knee, and place its heel against the knee of the other leg. The result is counted until the heel lifts off the floor or balance is lost.
13. The ratio of the strength of the right hand as measured by a hand dynamometer to body weight (norm – 60%).
14. Abalakova test. The maximum possible jump in height from a standstill. Mark the wall 2–3 m up (1 division = 1 cm). Standing next to the wall with your right side, raise your right hand up and mark the highest point (for example, 210 cm). Then jump as high as possible with your right hand extended upwards. An assistant standing 2 meters away from you records the height of the second indicator (for example, 245 cm). Subtracting 210 from 245 gives the result of the Abalakova test.
15. Rufye test: determining the speed of recovery processes in the cardiovascular system. The subject, in a calm state (sitting on a chair) for 5 minutes, determines the heart rate (pulse) for 15 seconds (P1), then during 45 seconds the subject performs 30 squats. After the load, the subject sits down, and the heart rate is again determined for the first 15 seconds (P2), and then for the last 15 seconds of the first minute of recovery (P3).
Rufye Index = (4 (P1 + P2 + P3) – 200) /10
Other calculation modifications are also possible:
Rufye Index – Dickson V = ( (P2 – 70) + (P3 – P1)) / 10
16. Robinson index (RI). Used to assess the level of metabolic-energy processes occurring in the body. This indicator indirectly reflects the oxygen consumption by the myocardium. Extreme values of RI (upper and lower in the table) indicate the predominant influence of the sympathetic or parasympathetic autonomic nervous system.
RI = SBD · HR /100,
where: SBD – systolic blood pressure (mm Hg);
HR – heart rate (beats per minute).
17. Starr index (SI). Allows characterization of the energetic capabilities of the left ventricle of the heart. It can indirectly indicate the stroke volume (SV) of the heart. Extreme values (upper and lower in the table) of SI indicate a possible decrease in the compensatory capabilities of the cardiovascular system.
SI (SV) = 100 + 0.5SD – 0.6DD – 0.6A,
where: SD – systolic pressure;
DD – diastolic pressure;
A – age.
18. Grace index. To determine it, divide the circumference of the calf (at its widest part) by the circumference of the waist and multiply by 100%.
Determination of “health quantity”
These same tests allow assessing the “health quantity” – the level of functional capabilities of the body.
Health quantity (K) is determined by dividing the norm corresponding to age (table value) – N, by the obtained result – R (for exercises No. 9-14 and 17-18 – the other way around):
K = N/R . 100 (%)
The norm corresponding to your age is 100%.
If the indicator is worse than the norm, then dividing the two numbers results in less than 100%.
For example, at the age of 40, the pulse after climbing to the 4th floor was not 116 beats per minute, as it should be norm (100%), but 120 beats, which is 96.7% of the norm (116:120). Suppose the pulse after 2 minutes of climbing was not 100 beats per minute, but 104, which corresponds to 96% of the norm and, by the way, is an indicator for the age of 45.
Convert all obtained test results into percentages relative to the norm and calculate the arithmetic mean of these indicators. This is your “health quantity”.
Thus, you have determined your true age and “health quantity”.
What to do if these numbers do not satisfy you? Of course, change your lifestyle.
According to long-term studies, the most effective means of developing functional reserves and reducing biological age are swimming (at least 2–3 times a week), running (at least 20 minutes a day or 40 minutes every other day), in winter – skiing and skating, in summer – cycling, rowing, gardening, year-round – gymnastics (if conducted with basic equipment, the health effect doubles), sports games, brisk walking.