vo2 testing

nitrogenmustard said:

does any body know if u can do a max vo2 test at home? if not, where would i go to get one?

thanx
-nitro

You can certainly do a kind of VO2max test at home. A true VO2max test requires the kind of equipment you see in the photos; cyclist breathing through a mouth piece connected to tubes that run to a large machine that analyzes the gases moving in and out of the body. However, if you have a power meter and you perform the protocol correctly (a Computrainer helps here), there is a very close relationship between oxygen consumption and MAP (maximal aerobic power) such that VO2 can be calculated via a simple mathmatical formula. However, it is your MAP that is of more use to you as a cyclist in terms of assessing fitness, applying the test results to the real world and for deriving training levels.
Check out this link: cyclecoach.comarticlesOpen ↗
It will describe the test for you in more detail.
Should you want to perform a laboratory VO2max test in order to directly measure VO2 kinetics, try your local university or sports medicine clinic. This will cost you a lot more than doing it at home as well.

Smartt/RST said:

You can certainly do a kind of VO2max test at home. A true VO2max test requires the kind of equipment you see in the photos; cyclist breathing through a mouth piece connected to tubes that run to a large machine that analyzes the gases moving in and out of the body. However, if you have a power meter and you perform the protocol correctly (a Computrainer helps here), there is a very close relationship between oxygen consumption and MAP (maximal aerobic power) such that VO2 can be calculated via a simple mathmatical formula. However, it is your MAP that is of more use to you as a cyclist in terms of assessing fitness, applying the test results to the real world and for deriving training levels.
Check out this link: cyclecoach.comarticlesOpen ↗
It will describe the test for you in more detail.
Should you want to perform a laboratory VO2max test in order to directly measure VO2 kinetics, try your local university or sports medicine clinic. This will cost you a lot more than doing it at home as well.

Probably the cheapest, but most effective is call a University and see if they have an Ex Phs. Lab. I'm getting a Masters in Exercise Physiology and we have an "Orca" unit that analyzes VO2. Every so often we'll test some people and their max - we also do it in one of our classes. Also, grad students are sometimes looking for subjects to complete their thesis, etc. If the Lab administrator or professor is cool, they'll probably let you do it free.