I’m not really big into testing, and never have kept track of a lot of data regarding my training or physical well-being, so being tested like I was last week was definitely a change of pace. Andrew Smith (@ajsendurance on Twitter), conducted the test for me, and by the conversations that we had regarding the results, really seems to know his stuff. Here’s the run-down of how the test went down and my results:
- 30 Minute Warm-up on spin bike
- Calibration of the spin bike (equipped with power meter), air flow machine, and computer
- VO2/Threshold Test (lasted about 10-12 minutes)
- Power was ramped up 30 watts per minute until threshold reached
- Cool down on the spin bike for several minutes
- Reviewed reports and future workouts with Andrew
The way the test works is by gauging the volume of air/carbon dioxide that I’m using, finding out where I burn fat vs. calories throughout my workout, and setting those HR zones, accordingly. Then, the HR zones are integrated into a workout that can burn fat and calories and increase the VO2 levels that I’m putting out. Pretty cool, huh?
Here’s the numbers that I have from the reports:
Heart Rates/Zones:
- My Base is in Zone 1 (HR – 145-155 bpm).
- At my base, I burn 7.2 fat calories per minute.
- My HR Threshold is 177 bpm.
- My threshold marks the end of Zone 3.
- My HR for Zone 3 is 166-177 bpm.
- Recovery HR: N/A (changed HR monitors – did not record during test)
VO2:
- At threshold, my VO2 is 43.4 ml/kg/min.
- My Peak VO2 is 44.9 ml/kg/min.
- Threshold/Peak: 97%
I don’t fully understand all of that information yet, but it’s a good starting point for the little bit of training that I will attempt to do this year. I highly recommend having a test like this done for anyone who wants to work on their personal fitness… especially for those wanting to accomplish something specific on the bike. Just from this one test, I can already see how having an endurance coach like Andrew could increase your results exponentially. Try it out for yourself and see…
I’m not going to make this a training-based blog, like a lot of friends of mine do, however, I may write from time to time about how my riding is coming along and how the VO2 tests progress.
PROBIKEWRENCH 