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Stand test, based on the NASA model

A simple 10-minute test that shows how your heart rate reacts to standing up. It's used when POTS or orthostatic intolerance (trouble staying upright) is suspected.

Illustration: an anonymous silhouette standing still and upright

Please read this first

  • Don't do this alone. The test can cause dizziness, and even fainting — someone needs to be within reach.
  • Set up a soft surface to lie on and somewhere to sit right next to you.
  • Stop right away if your vision goes dark, or you feel chest pain or strong nausea — lie down. The stop button is always visible.
  • With ME/CFS the test can trigger a crash (PEM, post-exertional malaise). Plan for rest afterwards.
  • Talk to your doctor beforehand, especially if you have a heart condition.

How it works

  1. Lie still for 10 minutes. At the end your resting heart rate (lying down) is recorded.
  2. Stand up and stand actively without leaning on anything — feet hip-width apart. Stay near a wall or chair in case you feel faint.
  3. Stay standing for 10 minutes — every minute you enter your heart rate (read it off your watch).

For a clearer picture, do it in the morning, before eating or drinking, without extra fluids or salt and without compression stockings — as long as your doctor is okay with that.

And if possible, always at the same time of day: the heart-rate rise on standing is systematically higher in the morning than in the evening — otherwise this can look like a change when only the time of day was different.

Confirm before you start

The 10-minute stand test (NASA Lean Test) is described by the Bateman Horne Center and the CDC, among others, as a simple check for ME/CFS and Long COVID. Threshold: a sustained heart-rate rise of 30 bpm or more (40 bpm or more in teens under 20) with stable blood pressure. This page measures and documents — it does not diagnose. Alongside the 30 bpm threshold, a second, more specific threshold for active standing (27 bpm) is stored too, but not displayed. For more on symptoms and daily life with POTS, see the article "POTS Explained".