Editing Cooper test (section)

== Practical use ==
For practical use, precise monitoring presents a challenge. Not all military bases have a running track, and tracking soldiers' laps and positions after 12 minutes is difficult. Testing is easier to administer when the distance is fixed and the finishing time measured. In his original book, Cooper also provided an alternate version of the test, based on the time to complete a 1.5 mile run.<ref name=aerobics></ref>

Most armies and police agencies of the world use a fixed distance. This is not exactly a Cooper test but a reasonable practical compromise as long as the distance is of sufficient length to put a continuous load on the cardiovascular system for 10 or more minutes. For example, the British Army uses 1.5 miles, the Australian Army uses 2.4 kilometers, the US Army uses 2 miles and the US Marine Corps 3 miles. For each base the course is measured and local corrections (elevation, conditions, etc.) applied. Soldiers are sent off in waves, and timed over the finish line by some [[Physical Training Instructor|PTIs]] with a stopwatch.

For personal trainers, the Cooper Test, when carried out on a treadmill, is a reliable and repeatable method for measuring a client's progress.

As a standard test this test should to be performed only under standard conditions:

* Between 50 and 75 °F (10 to 25 °C) with 75% maximum humidity.
* On a standard 400 m [[Tartan track]] or similar.
* The candidate should not suffer from respiratory problems.

The test formula given by Cooper is not considered to be useful for untrained pupils.<ref>[http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/8585 Library of the Heidelberg University: Evaluation of the COOPER-Tests from a performance-physiological perspective] Retrieved 3 July 2014</ref>
Regression analysis within in a study of sedentary male subjects revealed a significant correlation (r = 0.93, P<0.001) with direct VO2Max measurements with a modified formula: 

:<math>\mathrm{VO_2\; max} = {21.01 \cdot d(\text{kilometers})_{12} - 11.04}</math>

where d(kilometers)<sub>12</sub> is distance (in kilometers) covered in 12 minutes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bandyopadhyay |first1=A. |title=Validity of cooper's 12-minute run test for estimation of maximum oxygen uptake in male university students. |journal=Biology of Sport |date=2015 |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=59 |doi=10.5604/20831862.1127283 |s2cid=16427810 |language=en }} Retrieved 7 Jun 2024</ref>