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Lab Testing

Tribob schedule regular laboratory testing sessions throughout the season for both members and non members (If you are a non-member, please contact us at admin@tribob.com for more details).

Check out the Tribob calendar for forthcoming testing dates.

Lactate Threshold – What is it?
This test is the most common laboratory measurement used to estimate your maximal steady state speed through the determination of the lactate threshold. The lactate threshold represents the exercise intensity where the blood lactic acid levels begin to systematically increase. Fatigue is associated with high levels of blood and muscle lactic acid and so the lactate threshold is related to endurance performance in events lasting longer than 15 minutes.

Lactate Threshold Test – What does it involve?
To determine your lactate threshold, you are required to complete a 40 minute (approx) testing protocol in which you will run at an increasing speed on a treadmill. The test will begin with a 10 minute warm-up at a low work rate followed by a stepwise increase in speed every 5 minutes (4 minutes work, 1 minute rest – when sample is taken). The increments between the steps are conservative in order to provide a better resolution in the determination of your lactate threshold.

Lactate Threshold Test – How do you measure the lactate levels?
In order to determine the concentration of lactic acid in your blood, a small blood sample from a prick to your finger is taken at each of the work levels. The blood samples are then chemically analyzed and the concentration of lactic acid is then graphed against the running speed at which the sample was taken. In most cases, your lactate curve will follow the shape as in the classic graph below, although don’t be alarmed at slight variations. The real value of what we are doing by testing you is that, by correlating heart rate with your lactate curve, your heart rate can be used as a measure of intensity when you are training.


            

VO2 Max – What is it?
Your Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2 max) is the maximal rate at which oxygen can be taken up, distributed and used by your body during exercise. A high VO2 max level depends upon the proper functioning of three important systems within the body: the respiratory system, which takes up oxygen from inspired air and transports it into the blood; the cardiovascular system, which pumps and distributes this oxygen-laden blood throughout body tissues; and the musculoskeletal system, which uses this oxygen to convert stored substrates into work and heat while you are running/cycling. There are many tests which are used to estimate your VO2 max; however, the most accurate means of determining your VO2 max is by direct laboratory measurement.

VO2 Max Test – What does it involve?
The measurement of your VO2 max is the gold standard measure of cardio respiratory fitness. The direst measurement of your VO2 max is performed in the laboratory using a motorized treadmill and an open spirometry gas analyzer which is used to analyse the air you breathe in and out during the duration of the test. The test begins with a submaximal warm up period of approximately ten minutes after which the speed and gradient of the treadmill is increased gradually every 1 to 2 minutes until you are no longer able to sustain the workload. The exercise protocol should last between 10 – 15 minutes.

NOTE THAT THIS TEST IS A MAXIMAL, RUN TO EXHAUSTION TEST.
VO2 Max Test – How do you know if I have reached my maximum?
Your VO2 max test can be judged to be valid if two of the following three criteria are met:
1. A respiratory exchange ratio (R) greater than 1:15 is reached. (R: The ratio of CO2 production to O2 consumption)
2. A heart rate during the last test stage which is + 10bpm within your predicted maximum heart rate.
3. A plateau in your VO2 even though there is an increase in the workload.
Which test should I choose?
Both of the tests carried out by Tribob are highly beneficial in assessing your level of fitness. However, the different tests are beneficial in different ways for different athletes:

What should I do after my test?
If you surf the net in search of information on lactate testing, it’s very easy to get confused with all the conflicting vocabulary being used (lactate threshold, anaerobic threshold, aerobic threshold, OBLA (onset of blood lactate accumulation), etc). We suggest that, following your tests, you make a consultation appointment with Mike with whom you can discuss your graph in more depth, and what your results mean for you in particular. It’s important to realize that much of the interpretation of these results is personal to you, for example, an elite athlete training 25 hours per week will be able to train much more often at high lactate levels than a novice athlete, etc.

Note that we consider the consultation, following your tests, a critical part of the experience. The data by itself is going to look nice on your PC, but won't be much help if you don't know what it means. Make a date with Mike at Saunders Rd. to chat about your test.