Improving your performance through physiological testing
Lactate, Anaerobic and Functional Threshold Testing
Successful endurance athletes base their training regimens on their lactate and anaerobic thresholds. These thresholds indicate the physiological point at which the human body shifts from aerobic to anaerobic stress, namely when your body is no longer getting enough oxygen to perform optimally. Once anaerobic, the body cannot flush blood lactate as quickly as it is produced. When exercising, staying below your lactate threshold will prolong your energy reserves; when training, using heart-rate and wattage ranges based on lactate threshold testing will increase your aerobic fitness and can actually increase your lactate threshold for improved competitive performance.
The blood lactate test at Off the Front is a procedure using a lactate analyzer that allows us to accurately determine the heart rate and power ranges at your lactate threshold. This information is crucial in building an individualized training plan
Submaximal & Maximal VO2 Testing
Depending on how far you take it, the VO2 test can be used to either estimate or accurately determine an athlete’s maximum volumetric oxygen uptake. The goal of this test is to analyze the athlete’s relative aerobic fitness by determining how efficiently his or her body utilizes oxygen consumption. For submaximal determinations, an athlete’s max VO2 is predicted and their anaerobic threshold is determined based on physiological tests that do not take the athlete to his or her fatigue point. For maximal VO2, on the other hand, the athlete is taken to his or her breaking point of muscular and aerobic fatigue. During the max VO2 determination, the athlete’s peak heart rate will also be determined.
Whether you are a cyclist, a runner, or both, Off the Front can perform testing in a world-class facility on one of two cycling ergometers or on a treadmill. This way, you’re sure to get the physiological results you need to be the best athlete you can be.
Wingate Power Test
How many watts can you generate? A professional cyclist with strong sprinting skills regularly kicks out over 1700 watts in a final bunch sprint! During this test, your anaerobic power (measured in watts) will be assessed during intervals on our specialized ergometer. Your peak power output and fatigue index will thus be determined. These numbers help us design the optimal training plan for your power training.
