VO2 Testing

I scheduled another Cycling VO2 test at LifeTime Fitness. It has been two months since my last test. The purpose of the test is to determine if I have made any improvements in my VO2 and cycling strength. VO2 max is the maximum capacity of my body to absorb and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise. The name is derived from V - volume per time, O2 - oxygen, max - maximum. The test was performed while I donned a New Leaf Mask (breathe through my mouth), wore a Polar heart rate monitor + watch and cycled on a stationary bike.

The trainer (Casey) incrementally increased the wats or difficulty. He monitored a machine that analyzed my breathing for amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The testing computer recorded and used this data to determine my VO2 maximum and heart rate zones.

The test determined that my threshold increased by 2 points up to 162 bpm. What this means is that it is the last stop for burning fat and when I have reached my maximum oxygen uptake (it plateaus). This is where I start generating energy anaerobically. Lactic acid starts to build up and the muscles burn. The benefit from working out past this threshold are improved fitness and this threshold will increase but I won't burn fat. This is where I burn glucose stored in muscles and if performed for too long, I will eventually "bonk" or run out of energy and then it is really hard to continue running. It is the wall that atheletes face during a long endurance run.

I have attached my first cycling VO2 test performed in November and then my test performed on 1/2/2010. Notice that the test shows how many Fat Calories burned in each training zone. There is a significant improvement in V02 and heart rate zones. Casey was surprised at the amount of improvement and asked what I had been doing to achieve this increase. Who knows? I drank my MonaVie Active that morning, hehe.

Test performed 11/5/2009

Test performed 01/02/2010