Physiological Testing

What is Physiological Testing?

Physiological testing provides us, you, and your coach the data needed to make informed decisions regarding your training and nutrition programs in order to guide you to success.

Unlike field tests like time trials and FTPs that only tell us the output (watts, HR, etc), physiological testing tells us what is happening inside the body. Specifically, what is driving that output and where possible limitations to your training may be. Our professionals use state-of-the-art equipment and protocols to ensure that we are able to understand what your body needs to succeed.We offer both VO2 max and lactate threshold testing. Want to learn more about the basics of exercise science? See our short introductions at the bottom of this web page!

VO2 Max & Economy Testing

VO2 stands for oxygen consumption and is a picture of your metabolism. As we know, the body needs oxygen to create energy for training and racing. Therefore, the better your body is at delivering oxygen and using it, the more fit you are and the more power and speed you are able to generate and sustain. Your VO2 max is an indicator of your fitness and economy refers to how efficiently you use energy at your race pace. What you’ll learn from a VO2 test:

Your VO2 Max score (how fit you are)
Your maximal or near maximal heart rate
Training zones customized to your unique physiology (HR, Power, Pace)
How much fat and carb you burn at different intensities
How many calories you burn per minute/hour at different intensities
Insight into physiological limitations
How to adapt training and nutrition (macro) in order to meet your goals

Lactate Threshold Testing

A byproduct of energy production during exercise and a secondary source of energy, blood Lactate (aka lactic acid) production increases as our body shift to burning more carbohydrates at faster rates. The term “threshold” refers to the intensity at which your body shifts from sustainable energy production (supply meeting demands) to a point at which energy production and turnover is failing to keep up with demand and intensity and effort is no longer sustainable. What you learn from this test:

Training zones customized to your body’s unique physiology (HR, Power, Pace)
Insight into physiological limitations
How to adapt training and nutrition (macro) in order to meet your goals

**Packages* –**

*can be purchased for running or cycling

The Complete Picture: VO2max & Lactate Threshold – $350

Metabolic & VO2 Max Testing: including substrate oxidation and training zones- $300

Lactate Threshold Testing: including training zones for Power & HR – $175

Contact us today to schedule your appointment!

By phone – 303-771-3329 … By e-mail – kathy@thefastlab.com

Understanding the Basic Physiology of VO2Max Testing

Obviously, if you were physically capable of running that marathon on Day 1, you wouldn’t need to train. Therefore, the over arching purpose of training, is to cause your body to adapt in such a way that you are able to reach your race goals. Through training you can cause adaptations that make you faster, stronger, better at endurance, or more powerful. More specifically, basic physiology adaptations as an endurance athletes comes down to how well you are able to use and create energy in the working muscle for the total duration of your event. There are two primary sources of energy for an endurance athlete, Fat and Carbohydrate (CHO).

Depending on the intensity, the body will either increase or decrease fat and CHO breakdown in order to supply the necessary energy for your workout. The harder you workout, the more energy you need. At lower intensities, the preferred source of fuel should be fat, at mid ranges it’s mixed fat and CHO, and at high intensities, it’s CHO. The terms aerobic and anaerobic come from the process of how fat or CHO is broken down and used for energy. Fat and some CHO breakdown requires oxygen, and therefore is an Aerobic (with oxygen) process. CHO is most often broken down anaerobically (or without oxygen). Hence you here people say your aerobic training zones are best for burning fat or loosing weight (although there is a lot more too it then that).

During a VO2Max test we not only see whether you’re using fat or CHO as fuel, we see how much of each. We also get a glimpse of how well the lungs and heart are functioning. One of the primary roles of your heart and lungs is to transfer the necessary fuel and oxygen to the working muscles to be used for energy, therefore, they play key roles in your success.

Understanding Why You Must Train Smarter

How you improve fitness, endurance, etc to reach your goals is by manipulating training stress. The stress caused to the body during workouts causes your body to adapt its physiology in order to maximize energy consumption and usage in order to meet the demands being placed on it. That’s why the first time you run 5 miles it may feel very hard, but soon, it no longer is a challenge. Stress can be the fatigue and muscular breakdown in speed work, or stress to your lungs and heart during long run. The adaptations to this stress occur in the cells of your muscle, lungs, and heart cells. These adaptations will help you*:

Burn fat in higher volumes
Burn fat at higher intensities
Burn CHO more efficiently
Strengthen the muscle and neurological drive to the heart that will in turn allow you to deliver oxygen and glucose (CHO) faster and more efficiently to the needed muscles
Strengthen the muscles of the lungs (better oxygen intake and CO2 expiration)
Improve the ability of the body to absorb oxygen from the lungs
Improving the mechanical and neurological drive to the muscles which will improve efficiency
Improve blood supply & oxygen delivery

*not an all inclusive list

However, your body will not adapt to everything at the same time and not all training stress is created equal.

The Rule of Specificity states that the body will adapt to the demands of training in kind, or with a specific adaptation to meet the specific demand. For example, if at 110% of your threshold, you burn 90% sugar, and you spend most of your training time at or above 110% of your threshold, your body is going to get really good at training at that intensity. Which means that your body is going to adapt in favor of burning more sugars and clearing blood lactate, because that’s what your body needs to do so that it’s no longer stressful running at that intensity. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if that is what you need for your goals. But the Rule of Specificity also states that we can’t effectively adapt two different and opposing physiological systems at the same time. So while you may get better at burning sugar (CHO), you may get worse at burning fat. Which is a problem if you’re an endurance athlete.

So why testing? Physiological testing is one way of safeguarding against taking your training in the wrong direction and ensuring you adapt to your training in a way that supports and enhances your desired performance. We’ve seen many athletes struggle to make the improvements that they are looking for, and with testing we are better able to determine why that is happening and help the athlete and coach adjust their training to get the desired results.