A VO2max test: Observations please

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/sol/newsid ... ue&bbcws=2

Pretty standard test protocol: breathe through the mask, look at HR, power and gas flow (O2 and CO2) on an increasingly harder intensity.

They stopped the test at 70 but that doesn't mean that's his VO2; you have to go past the point of VO2 in order to know that you actually were there, I believe. They are supposed to determine it from the gas flows: where the rates of CO2 and O2 make radical changes in flow rate, for one thing. I guess they use HR as a further indicator of things like presumed AT.

I'd be worried about setting power training zones based upon the power readings of a Tacx trainer because it will suffer from the same measurement ambiguities as a Kurt Kinetic or Computrainer: variation due to tire rolling resistance, temperature, pressure, etc. That won't have any bearing on the absolute HR and respiration values though.

Surprised to see this on The Beeb...

Was that a powertap hub? I couldn't quite work out if I was seeing it or not.

Neil

In fact, I don't even know for sure what that 70 indication was exactly. Like, what parameter was it? I don't know.

1st it is very nice and refreshing too see someone performning test at his house. That is a way may people has started...including myself.

2nd I would with all due respect critisize a few things (no desire of hurm, but to construct):

- THe Analyzer is a good one (Cortex), that is a plus.
- The cyclergometer...it is not a real one. Tacx tried to sell that product this way but it not a scientifical one to use in a laboratory. I advise: Buy either a Good ergogenic bike (Lode-EScallibur. SRM...) or a computrainer.

- I don´t see lactate readings nor on the clip so I am assumimg it was not performed. That is a must nowadays in order to be competitve as well as to look professional

- Fitness Guru?. I Believe there are better names than that. A MD, PhD, PT, MS...

Cheers. Keep it up!

Yeah cheers guys. That was my friend Phil who had the test done and I wanted to see what you guys felt about it. The so called Guru got criticized quite a bit on one of the forums http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A30902267

sorry..oops..I meant ergometric instead of ergogenic...what was I thinking about?..

That did raise a smile when I first read it I thought - where can I get one of those.... or how can I incorporate into my own trainer (see other thread).

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Can you imagine?.. an Ergogenic ergometer...

I guess that would be a way to motivate people to ride indoors.