Find Your Peak Endurance with a VO2 Max Test
Testing an athlete’s maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) is one way to determine peak aerobic endurance.
A VO2 max test can determine the endurance and cardiovascular fitness of an athlete during exercise. The results of a VO2 max test helps to determine an athlete’s target training zones, which will help to guide your training and improve athletic performance.
How Does a VO2 Max Test Work?
A VO2 max test is performed while the athlete is exercising. This is usually done on a treadmill or a stationary bike. The intensity of the exercise will increase incrementally until near-maximal effort.
During the test you will be wearing a mouthpiece or mask as well as a heart monitor to measure your bio-feedback throughout the test. The mouthpiece or mask is worn to collect the expired air, which is analyzed to determine Vo2 at each step of the test. The heart rate monitor measures your heart rate response during the test.
What Will A VO2 Max Test Tell Me?
Many athletes have a leveling off of VO2 at maximal effort, despite further increases in intensity. The point at which your oxygen levels plateau is your VO2 max or VO2peak.
Through proper training you can increase your VO2 max. When you are aware of what level of physical activity at which you hit your VO2 max, you can adjust your conditioning to focus on intensity and volume to improve your VO2 max.
Using results from testing, an OATC coach will be able to tell you the amount of time and intensity of the workout that would maximize results for your training.