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VO2 max test

I'd like to get a VO2 max test done to see my potential as an athlete . Has anyone had one done and also where can I get one done (based somewhere in the Northwest England). What sort of price are we looking at here ? I'm guessing that the test involves you cycling/running to exhaustion?

Comments

  • ironkavironkav Posts: 259
    Hi

    I had the full works done (in Ireland) and it cost me 140 Euro.

    If you search my posts youll find my report on it..

    IK
  • apana790apana790 Posts: 76
    just read the thread, seems like a good way to gauge performance and wether you're racing and training to your full potential. I'll definantley give it a go in the near future.


    Thanks for the helpful reply
  • ironkavironkav Posts: 259
    I got mine done privately. I had the option of going to a number of UNIs in Dublin, but the waiting time was long. However they were alot cheaper.

    http://www.leinstersportsclinic.ie/ is where I got mine done.

    I agree with Conehead. My results would be different if i were to go now. So unless you can get a test every 6 months or less, the original data will be out the fitter or fatter you get.

    They recently asked me back for more tests but i might wait til after the marathon so I can see what the differences are considering I will be alot fitter by then, than my first test.

    Compare and contrast and all that melarky!

    IK
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    The benefits are a bit debatable!

    If you think you'll get your £200 worth just from knowing, then fine.

    Otherwise you have to do something with the results.

    In many ways, knowing your lactate/aerobic threshold would be more useful, as this is the aspect that you have most to gain by raising (your VO2 is a bit harder to move - and affected by your age, genes etc.). If the tests include that, then all well and good.

    There are a number of training schemes that are based on VO2 - for example, Jack Daniels Running Forumla. This is based on knowing your VO2 and running at paces derived from it, rather than, say, heart rate zones. You can do something similar with the bike, by mapping VO2 onto power, then coming up with different power levels to train at. Despite the use of VO2 as input, your are really working on lactate threshold development, rather than VO2 development.

    Measuring your VO2 is really an indicator of the effectiveness of a training programme - not a training goal in itself. i.e. you don't think my VO2 is 50, I'll aim at getting it to 56. Rather, you aim at other things, then you might see what happens to your VO2 as a byproduct. One of those other things is Lactate Threshold. You also need a well structure training programme - well designed to target specific physiological and performance goals to make sure that you are getting the benefits of these things. The VO2 is used as an input to the development of these plans.

    It is easier to measure VO2 (a simple test to destruction) than to measure LT, which is why it is commonly offered. And it does give good bragging rights.

    In practice, there are good/accurate ways of determining VO2 from other means - see Jack Daniels. However, if you are not a good runner, you may find that these are not an accurate guide - so measuring your VO2 and looking at what you should be capable of, would certainly be interesting.

    IMHO, unless you have an overriding desire to find out what it is, you would be better spending the money on a copy of Jack Daniels, or putting it towards a powertap or similar device.

    It is also a point in time measure - so you have to be fit and healthy to get an accurate measure (i.e. no injuries, hang-overs, cold etc. or it won't be accurate!).
  • ironkavironkav Posts: 259
    the most usefull bit I got is that my resting metabolic rate is only 1700.

    It other words.. If i stop exercising i will get heavy v quickly.

    IK
  • apana790apana790 Posts: 76
    I searched around on the internet a bit and found a few VO2 max calcualtors, they used your past race times to calculate your VO2 max so to make sure I used my 10k, 5k and 1500m times in those calculators and the results ranged from 58.9 to 60.0 ml/kg/min. That's pretty accurate in my opinion.

    I was trying to find out more out of curiosity than need as i tend to train by gauging how I feel so I already know what my body should feel like during a threshold session etc.

    Thanks for the advice guys but i don't know if it's worth it if i already know where im standing (granted it's not that accurate as the race results mite have been affected by several factors). Also i don't fancy spending £200 or so every 4-6 months as that could go towards a nice set of wheels
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