So I had a vo2max test done today, but I wasn’t really happy with the way it had gone.
First off, my muscles were pretty cramped from the testing I had done Saturday. I think this combined with the fact I got an allergy attack to my friend’s bedsheets that made my nose pretty stuffy. My legs were on the verge of a full on cramp at 3:40/k, which is very slow for me, so I signalled her to stop.
Second, I’m not used to running on a treadmill at all. It felt weird and my legs kept hitting the front-end.
Could these things affect the test results? Anyone know by how many percent? Thanks.
There are pretty clear indications when you’ve truly reached your VO2max, most obviously is a plateauing of you VO2 despite increasing work. There are other indices also. Perhaps you could check with the technician that ran the test to make sure youo really did max out.
The VO2max test is a highly reproducible test and varies 2-5% (depending on what paper you read) one test after another. Have you done the test before? How does this one compare?
You can still reach max running on a treaqdmill even though you are not a runner. I don’t know how those other variables would affect the test, other than preventing you from reaching max.
Also, remember that labs can differ quite a bit as well. Be sure that you do follow up tests at the same lab. A 1-time VO2max test doesn’t mean much except to your ego one way or another.
it looks like your vo2max is ~51, since it did seem to plateau around 11 min (meaning an increase of less than 1.5 ml/kg/min each minute). If there is a value for RER (respiratory exchange ratio - a value of about 0.95 -1.15), then look at that also. if that value is greater than 1.1, then you probably were at max. also, if you have HR data, check to see if you were at ~90% HRmax, another indicator that vo2max was achieved. in any case, ideally for a vo2max test, the time should be between 12 and 15 minutes, so that you can be working aerobically, but also so that you don’t suffer from fatigue, rather than from reaching your max potential. also keep in mind that you should be able to reach your vo2max when you’re not feeling great, it should just effect you time to exhaustion (which is just how long you can sustain a maximal effort).
vo2max values will rise again because the subject will start to hyperventilate at the very end of the test, which will cause a jump in the vo2 values, but this is not indicative of their actual functional capacity. you also have to consider that once the subject grabs the handrails, they will lower the ‘load’ on their body, but they are still breathing at the same rate, and HR is still at or near (within 10) max. because the metabolic system is measuring expired O2 and CO2, and the body is still trying to purge CO2 (some of which is a result of anaerobic activity), there should be a jump at the very end. because of this, we will ignore any values from after the test is officially terminated, and will average the highest value from the test with a value adjacent to that high value (because that is a better indicator of the true max value).
i see what you’re saying, but there is the possibility that with increased ventilation (through hyperventilation), and an increase in CO2 output (some of which is non-metabolic, from the bicarbonate buffering system, as well as some from anaerobic metabolism) will read as a greater vo2max, even though it’s not from aerobic metabolism. it’s my understanding that this is only a problem at the end of the test, because this is the only time that lactic acid buffering and anaerobic metabolism are active enough to contribute significantly to the expired co2.
… it’s my understanding that this is only a problem at the end of the test, because this is the only time that lactic acid buffering and anaerobic metabolism are active enough to contribute significantly to the expired co2.
Isn’t the point where the CO2 vs power output curve begins to rise non linearly commonly referred to as the ventilatory or anaerobic threshold?
This should be independent of the flattening at the top of the O2 vs power output curve. I would assume someone who is relatively unfit would see his/her CO2 vs power output curve become non linear well before his/her O2 vs power output curve maxed out.
The ratio of CO2 expelled vs O2 consumed can be used to determine the relative contribution of different energy systems.
The test put my LT at 188 (out of 204), or a little over 91%. They said it was really high too, and that either m LT is very high, or I didn’t reach my ‘true’ vo2max. Any thoughts on this?
The test put my LT at 188 (out of 204), or a little over 91%. They said it was really high too, and that either m LT is very high, or I didn’t reach my ‘true’ vo2max. Any thoughts on this?
The test put my LT at 188 (out of 204), or a little over 91%. They said it was really high too, and that either m LT is very high, or I didn’t reach my ‘true’ vo2max. Any thoughts on this?
And of course, what really matters is your running pace or cycling power at those lofty numbers.
Last I checked, lactate threshold and ‘max HR’ were not organized sports.
Exactly… but that’s not what freestyle wants to hear… he wants to have a test that can tell him if he’ll win the Olympics in 2012 and IMH from 2012-2018!
at around the 15:00 i started holding the rails cuz my muscles were signaling they were gonna cramp, and soon after that she slowed down the pace