Abstract
A stop test procedure for assessing physical work capacity is described and evaluated by comparison with laboratory measures of maximum O2 consumption and VO 2 and heart rate at sub-maximal work. Various indices are proposed using pulse counts during recovery from stopping divided by the subject's body weight. It is shown that such indices correlate highly significantly with laboratory measures on the same subjects. The stop test procedure used is recommended as an appropriate and simple method for the rapid estimation of physical work capacity in an unsophisticated industrial population.