VO2
What is it?
VO2 max stands for the maximal (max) volume (V) of oxygen (O2). There comes a point where you can increase exercise intensity, but your body can no longer process more oxygen, at which point you have reached your VO2 max. The more oxygen your body can utilise, the harder your muscles can work. This ultimately leads to improved performance.
VO2 max is also a significant indicator of overall health and wellbeing. A higher VO2 max correlates directly to longevity and a lower risk of disease.
How is it beneficial?
VO2 testing will provide you with a detailed breakdown of your unique fitness profile, including:
✓ VO2 max
✓ Max heart rate​
✓ Heart rate training zones
✓ Heart rate recovery
✓ Aerobic and Anaerobic thresholds
✓ Calorie expenditure
✓ Fat vs Carbohydrate utilisation
How does it work?
This test involves fitting you with a mask to analyse your oxygen and carbon dioxide whilst you exercise on a Treadmill or Watt Bike, for between 6-24 minutes. We will also monitor your heart rate with a heart rate strap. You will be encouraged to push yourself to your absolute limit during stages which increase in intensity, so be prepared for the challenge! Alternatively, we offer sub-maximal VO2 testing for those who don’t want to push themselves to the max. See Sub-max for more details.
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SUB-MAX
A sub-maximal VO2 test allows us to analyse your VO2 max without pushing you to your absolute limit. During this test, we will take you to around 80% of your heart rate max by gradually increasing the intensity during each stage, so it will still require a decent effort.
Our state-of-the-art technology then uses the collected data to extrapolate your VO2 max score. You will still receive the same detailed breakdown of your unique fitness profile including:
✓ VO2 max​
✓ Heart rate training zones
✓ Heart rate recovery
✓ Aerobic and Anaerobic thresholds
✓ Calorie expenditure
✓ Fat vs Carbohydrate utilisation
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This method is great for those wanting to test out their desired pace leading up to an event, or those starting their fitness journey who don’t want to push to their limit straight away.
