I’ll be having VO2 Max testing this Saturday at the local bike shop. They are advising not to warm up before the test to get more accurate results. My question is …what about the day or two before the test? Will going into the test tired from previous days workouts effect the test?
The only thing about these tests, if done on a bike, is that they cannot be done on a Zipp. 
I assume that you are having a VO2 max test done?
You don’t really have to worry much about the days before. VO2max test have high reapeatability in a given athlete from day to day. If done properly, it should last only about 15-17 minutes (maximum), so it is expected that respiratory activity will reach maximum capacity before your muscles begin to fail.
FYI, if you are not a trained cyclist, it may be difficult to actually reach your max on a bike. This is because your muscles may tire as a result of working at high Wattages, before your respiratory activity has reached its capacity. It should give you a decent estimate, though. If you can, it would be preferable to do the test on a treadmill instead. This tends to bring people closer to their true max.
Oh ya - if this is just a “threshold” test - then it really doesn’t matter what you do anyway.
Hope this helps.
You should go into the test relaxed and recovered. Ideally the test falls near the end of a rest week if you are periodizing your training. I normally suggest a light work out two days prior, and nothing more than a brisk walk the day before. Day of, no food 3 hours prior, no caffiene at all.
I disagree with the no warm up thing though. I believe the body should be warm and loose before being taken to it’s limits. Even from a psychological standpoint, it’s good to run briefly through most of your hr zones so that the muscles and the mind are aware of what is about to come.
Good luck with it and have fun.
Why?
-Robert
There is no physiological evidence in literature that suggests the need for a warm-up. People can have personal best performances without any warm-up. This has been researched. I might agree that for some people, a warm up is appropriate for psychological purposes in a race setting. Not for a VO2max test. Usually the protocol includes some short warm up to familiarize the subject with the setup.
There is not need for VO2 max testing to be done during a recovery week. As I said in my post above, it is a highly repeatable test from day to day in a given athlete. It usually doesn’t matter even if they have done maximal efforts several days in a row. This has been done. Obiviously, if lactate measurements are being taken as well, then it is a whole different story. You need rest for the lactate stuff.
I suggest that someone getting this test done does not need to alter their training schedule substantially for the test, as it will likely not affect the result. However, I would not suggest that a subject performs their highest volume/intensity in the days leading up to the test (obviously). Under-recovered/overtrained individuals may have the result of an underestimated VO2 max, compared to appropriately recovered subjects.
I should have explained further, I was talking about a VO2max test as part of an LT test. My mistake. I personally don’t see the need for a test that is for VO2max alone. Why get tested and only discover one of many performance markers available. For me, I think it is important for the client to experience a range of efforts they will be experiencing before the test so that the higher workloads are not a complete shock to them, but that’s just me, and I guess cause it’s not in a journal it’s probably not true.
We are the funny man!! : )
The big question of the day will be “which” Zipp to ride to the shop for the test!!! : ) Actually…neither…if the weather doesn’t warm up! I’ll put the darn bike in the trunk!
Yes…the test involves more then just the VO2 Max. It’ll include the the LT ( I think). I really don’t care…I’m doing it all for fun! I don’t even own a heart rate monitor…it died a slow death about a year ago and was never replaced.
Agreed. VO2max info without LT info does not do much good.
As for concepts that don’t exist in peer-reviewed journals, well they are all untrue 
This is what 5 years of grad school can do to a person…
Getting-old. Have fun with your test. The data is neat to have. Regardless, you are screwed. You’re just getting old.