Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Phun Physiology: Ever Thought of Having Your Own VO2 Max Tested?


Now you can. I lifted portions of two advertisements directly from this December’s issue of the Triangle edition of “Endurance Magazine.” Apparently, triangle residents (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) have a couple of choices for VO2 max testing at local universities.

First, brought to you by our friends in Chapel Hill:




Beginning in 2009, the UNC Wellness Performance Center will offer VO2 Max Testing! Results of VO2 max testing allow you to maximize training efficiency and benefit. Get the information you need to Take Your Training to Your MAX!

Direct expired gas analysis will provide you with precise measurement of oxygen uptake, while 12-lead electrocardiography will be used to monitor cardiac function. Anaerobic, ventilatory, and lactate thresholds will be calculated along with specific training heart rate ranges.

ACSM-certified Exercise Specialists and ACLS-trained nurses will administer maximal effort treadmill or cycle ergometer tests. Physician-supervised tests are also available.

VO2 Pricing
Treadmill or bike test $200
Physician-supervised test $250
Computrainer testing is available, utilizing your own bike . . .

Second, brought to you by our friends in Durham:



LET’S FIND OUT WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF.

The K-lab is a state of the art performance testing facility at Duke’s world class Sports Medicine Center. But we don’t just test Duke athletes. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, we’ll assess your current fitness level, target your proper training zones and show you how to maximize performance while preventing injury. As a leader in the study of athletic performance, we can take you and your body to the next level. . .


Sport Specific Training
VO2 Max
Blood Lactate Testing
Body Composition Analysis . . .


No pricing was provided, although mention of the ad qualifies individuals or teams for 15% off the regular rate.
Since my original post, an anonymous commenter (see below) alerted me to something I completely missed: there is at least a third institution of higher learning involved in VO2 max testing in the Triangle! My apologies! And now, brought to you from our friends here in Raleigh:




Beginner to Elite Fitness/Performance Testing
Fitness Counseling
Resting Metabolic Rate
Body Composition
Heart Rate/Power Training Zones
VO2 Max
Blood Lactate Threshold . . .
Their website (in comments below) includes prices for various services and packages.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't forget This lab at Peace College. I know they used to advertise in Endurance, but haven't picked up a copy in some time.

http://www.meredith.edu/hess/lab/default.htm

Anonymous said...

meredith/peace - I guess it's at meredith! Hey, I had the right gender.

dean furbish said...

Thanks, Anonymous, for alerting me to the Meredith lab. I've since amended my original post to include them.

Anonymous said...

Who cares!
I thought this was a Rando blog.

Mike Dayton said...

Dear, Anon,

Dean is a valued contributor and friend with academic expertise in physiology. We welcome and look forward to each and every one of his posts.

Happy New Years,

Mike

dean furbish said...

In the spirit of open debate, the comment by Anonymous II allows me the opportunity to argue that the concept of VO2 max is inescapably intertwined with randonneuring.

Pull your knees slightly inward toward each other, grab hold of your drops, and get into a tuck position. This will be fast.

In endurance sports like randonneuring, there is widespread agreement among physiologists that the most suitable meaning and measure of fitness is VO2 max. Regardless of the terminology we randonneurs use—“conditioning,” “training,” “fitness”—the underlying phenomenon is the body’s capacity to utilize oxygen for the purpose of converting fuel to power muscle. The more oxygen muscle is able to process, the greater one’s conditioning, one’s VO2 max.

The concept of VO2 max is inescapable in randonneuring. Consider the following: the simple desire to go faster in order to hang with the front group, or the desire to stay ahead of control closings. Both deal directly with VO2 max. I’m not suggesting that we can’t go around saying “fitness,” “conditioning,” or “training,”—‘cause that’s the way I talk!

Whew! That was fun. How about a slightly longer ride?

Do I sense an impending blog article, a primer on VO2 max? What do you think?