Janse van Rensburg, Dina ChristinaGrant, C.C. (Catharina Cornelia)Audrey; Janse van RensburgBotha, R.P.G. (Roelf Petrus Gerhardus)Wood, Paola SilviaNolte, KimFletcher, LizelleDu Toit, Peet J.Pepper, Michael SeanKruger, P.E. (Pieter Ernst)2017-05-042017-05-042016-12Janse van Rensburg, DC, Grant, CC, Jansen van Rensburg, A, Botha, RPG, Wood, PS, Nolte, K, Fletcher, L, Du Toit, PJ, Pepper, MS & Kruger, PE 2016, 'The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator : a pilot study', Health SA Gesondheid, vol. 21, pp. 431.436.1025-9848 (print)2071-9736 (online)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hsag.2016.07.005http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60233BACKGROUND : The FitTrack Index is a web-based programme developed in South Africa and widely used by athletes to indicate their fitness. A need exists for a self-managed, noninvasive tool to evaluate and categorise health-related fitness in different population groups. The aim of this study was to compare the FitTrack Index with a reliable measure of cardio-respiratory fitness as indicated by maximal oxygen uptake (direct VO2max). METHODS AND RESULTS : During a 12-week cross-sectional, descriptive pilot study the direct laboratory tested VO2max indicated a moderate to strong correlation with the FitTrack Index (Spearman's rho ¼ 0.439, p ¼ 0.089 at baseline; Spearman's rho ¼ 0.853, p < 0.001 after 12 weeks). CONCLUSIONS : These results suggest that the web-based FitTrack Index may be considered an appropriate tool to evaluate exercise capacity and cardiovascular fitness in healthy individuals following an aerobic training programme.en© 2016 The Authors. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Johannesburg University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.Aerobic fitnessExercise abilityRecreational fitnessCardiovascular fitnessFitness indicationVO2maxHealth sciences articles SDG-03SDG-03: Good health and well-beingArticle