Exercise stress test
Watches your heart while you exercise - to see whether it gets enough blood flow when working hard.
TypePerformance heart test
HowWalk or cycle while your ECG and blood pressure are monitored. 10–15 minutes of exercise.
How oftenWhen symptoms appear, or to check a known condition.
BeforeComfortable shoes; ask whether to pause certain medications.
WhoPeople with chest discomfort or breathlessness on exertion.
How your heart handles effort
Some heart problems only show up when the heart works hard. A stress test records your heart while you exercise - usually on a treadmill - to see if it gets enough blood under load.
Exercise ECG
“Does my heart show strain?”
A heart tracing while you walk faster and uphill.
Standard
Stress with imaging
“Where is blood flow reduced?”
Adds ultrasound or a nuclear scan for a clearer picture.
More detail
CT angiogram
“Can we see the arteries directly?”
Often preferred if you can’t exercise or need a clearer answer. Learn more.
Alternative
Is it right for you?
Worth considering if…
- You get chest tightness or breathlessness when active.
- Your provider wants to see how your heart handles effort.
- You’re returning to exercise after a heart problem.
A better option if…
- You want a fitness score, not a heart check - a VO₂max test measures capacity.
- You can’t exercise - a medication-based stress test or CT angiogram may be used.
- You have no symptoms - routine stress testing isn’t recommended.
How it’s measured
Exercise ECG
Treadmill with continuous ECG - the simplest version.
Stress echo
Adds ultrasound images at rest and peak.
Nuclear stress test
Uses a tracer to map blood flow to the heart muscle.
The full picture
What is it?
A test that monitors your heart during increasing physical effort.
What type of test is it?
A performance-based heart test.
What does it measure?
ECG changes, heart rate and blood pressure response, symptoms and - with imaging - blood flow and wall motion.
Why might someone consider it?
Narrowed arteries often only cause problems when the heart works harder.
Who is it most relevant for?
People with exertional chest symptoms or known heart disease.
How is it performed?
On a treadmill or bike, with speed and incline increasing every few minutes.
How often might it be considered?
When symptoms change or to follow a known condition.
What can the result help you understand?
Whether reduced blood flow could explain your symptoms, and your safe exercise capacity.
What are its limitations?
It can miss mild narrowing and sometimes gives false positives; it doesn’t show plaque that isn’t yet limiting flow.
What should it be viewed with?
Symptoms, ECG, calcium score or CT angiogram, and cholesterol markers.
Where to get it
Through your provider
A referral to cardiology or a hospital heart centre.
Cardiology clinics
Most offer this test on site.
Imaging & hospital centres
Some accept self-referral - check coverage first.
Names are examples only, not endorsements. Your provider can often order the same test - and help interpret it.
Connected to
Questions to ask your provider
- Which type of stress test suits me?
- Should I stop any medications beforehand?
- What happens if the result is abnormal?
Ziva Health
One test is a snapshot. Ziva shows the whole story.
Ziva brings your lab results, wearables and daily readings together - and Isabella tells you what’s changing and what to ask your provider next.
Refer Ziva to my provider / care team
Is your provider not on Ziva yet? Send them a link in under a minute - once they join, they’ll see your Exercise stress test result alongside your other trends and get alerts directly.
Refer my providerAlready seeing your provider?
Bring your Ziva 30-day report to your next appointment - your Exercise stress test result and daily trends in one view, so the conversation starts with the full picture.
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Being listed doesn’t mean everyone needs this test. Educational only — not medical advice. Results should be interpreted with a qualified clinician. ← Back to Know What to Test