010-111 · Question #235
Your client is a 59 year old sedentary female with a body mass index of 33 kg/m2. She has no history of heart disease herself, but her mother had a myocardial infarction at the age of 66. She is an…
The correct answer is D. Neither a medical examination nor submaximal exercise testing is necessary. Under the 2015 ACSM updated pre-participation health screening guidelines, asymptomatic individuals with no known cardiovascular, metabolic, or renal disease may begin moderate intensity exercise without medical clearance or exercise testing.
Question
Your client is a 59 year old sedentary female with a body mass index of 33 kg/m2. She has no history of heart disease herself, but her mother had a myocardial infarction at the age of 66. She is an ex- smoker who quit 15 years ago, blood pressure is consistently 135/85 mm Hg, total cholesterol is 180 mg/dL (4.6 mmol/L) with an HDL level of 30 mg/dL (0.8 mmol/L), and blood glucose is 90 mg/dL. She has come to you for advice because she wishes to improve her overall health and fitness. If this client wanted to initiate a regular MODERATE intensity exercise routine, what is recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine prior to her participating in exercise?
Options
- AA medical examination and maximal exercise testing is necessary.
- BA maximal exercise test only is necessary.
- CA submaximal exercise test only is necessary.
- DNeither a medical examination nor submaximal exercise testing is necessary.
How the community answered
(34 responses)- A6% (2)
- B18% (6)
- C3% (1)
- D74% (25)
Why each option
Under the 2015 ACSM updated pre-participation health screening guidelines, asymptomatic individuals with no known cardiovascular, metabolic, or renal disease may begin moderate intensity exercise without medical clearance or exercise testing.
The 2015 ACSM guidelines do not require a medical examination or maximal exercise test for asymptomatic individuals without known CVD, metabolic, or renal disease who are initiating moderate intensity exercise.
A maximal exercise test alone is not indicated under current ACSM pre-participation screening guidelines for a client with this profile beginning only moderate intensity activity.
A submaximal exercise test is also not required, as the updated ACSM screening model focuses on known disease status and symptom presence rather than mandating fitness testing for all sedentary individuals.
Per the 2015 ACSM updated pre-participation health screening recommendations, clearance decisions hinge on whether the individual has known CVD, metabolic disease, or renal disease and whether signs or symptoms are present - not solely on CVD risk factor count. This client has no personal history of CVD, a normal fasting glucose of 90 mg/dL ruling out diabetes, and no reported signs or symptoms, so neither a medical examination nor an exercise test is required before initiating moderate intensity exercise.
Concept tested: ACSM pre-participation screening moderate intensity exercise
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