Vo2 Testing For Endurance Athletes

A question I get from athletes is whether or not they need testing and how important is it. My answer is yes and very. 

Testing establishes a baseline in which to build your training program. If you don’t know where you are, how do you know where you are going. Think of testing as a road map. 

Then next question is, do I need to get in shape before I do a test. The answer is no. In fact it is better if you are not. This way it gives your coach and the person conduction the test a true measure and more accurate description of your fitness, or lack thereof.

There are several types of test. One test and the most common is a field test where you would do a time trial for a specific distance or time. This is the most popular because it is the easiest to administer. The coach or tester can then extrapolate the data needed and design your training plan based on the results. This type of test can also be done for each discipline. Your heart rate will vary by sport due to several factors, some of them being your hearts orientation to gravity or your training history. For this reason field testing is more specific to each individual sport.

Another type of testing is Vo2 testing. This type of test is usually done on a treadmill but can also be done for the bike. It measures your body’s gas exchange between oxygen(O2) and Carbon dioxide (CO2). The administrator can find the point at which your body stops becoming efficient at fat oxidation and shifts over to burning carbohydrates as a fuel source. This test is a more scientific approach and is not distorted by outside influences such as heat, humidity, wind, terrain, etc. The data points are a direct result of your body’s work. Using this data you can apply a training plan to teach your body to utilize fat as a fuel source at higher levels of intensity, thus impacting your performance.

VO2 testing does require equipment and an administrator. For this reason the cost can sometimes influence ones decision to pick one test over another. But remember that you get what you pay for. Sure you can do field test on your own. But if you are not familiar with the protocols or not motivated to push yourself to your limit then the numbers will be skewed.

Without testing or some kind of measure you can not know how your body is responding to your training.  Without a proper stimulus to training your body can not make adaptations in order to keep progressing your race fitness. If your are not training in a specific zone in order to impact your race results you are essentially just exercising.  There is nothing wrong with that, but if you are serious about your training and racing, you should be tested in order to make your training more productive. If you are interested in training being tested check out our website at E2MULTISPORTS.COM, give us a call 512-808-0019, send an email at coach@e2multisports.com, or just stop by our studio at Core Personal Fitness to schedule your Test. We have all the latest equipment needed to test you and an expert to administer the test. Meet our test administrator Amanda McIntosh. A world renowned endurance athlete with experience and awards for every endurance event on the planet. Enhance your Endurance with E2Multisports.