Several terms are used to monitor endurance. VO2 peak represents the peak
amount of oxygen that may be transported to the active muscles during exercise
and is used extensively to chart progress in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
Exercise intensity and caloric expenditure in general may be defined in
terms of metabolic equivalents, or METs, where one MET is equivalent to the
oxygen uptake of a person at rest or approximately 3.5 mL per minute. Subsequent
METs represent multiples of this basal rate. Housework, such as vacuuming
or mopping, uses approximately two to four METs; moderate exercise
such as jogging uses five to six METs. Exercise over six METs is considered
high intensity.