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All evaluations are conducted by our exercise physiologist Brad Kahn in our Sports Science Lab. Brad's bio speaks for itself as he has extensive experience testing elite amateur and professional athletes. Most commonly used evaluations:
Click here for hassle-free information about our prices or services. VO2 Max What is it? Maximal Oxygen Uptake or VO2 max is the maximum volume of oxygen an individual can consume per minute of work. It is often used to evaluate an athlete's cardiovascular efficiency. Trained individuals have a higher VO2 max than untrained individuals allowing for increase intensity and performance when exercising. We test your VO2 max using a research recognized, state of the art Sensor Medics Spectra Metabolic Cart. Why is it useful? It has typically been used as an indicator of aerobic fitness and endurance capabilities. It tells us you're maximum ability, which allows us to properly determine accurate training zones for your personalized program. How is it measured? At PROformance we use a progressive treadmill, cycle or rowing ergometer test similar to those conducted at University physiology labs. Your VO2max is expressed relative to your body weight in ml/kg/min to allow comparisons between different sizes, sports or goals. Ventilatory Threshold What is it? It has been called many names such as lactate threshold, anaerobic threshold, OBLA or ventilatory threshold. All these names identify the same physiological occurrence where lactic acid is produced at a greater rate than it can be removed (also known as "buffering"). An increase in lactic acid without buffering can be detrimental to performance because of the side effects such as a decrease in pH (increasing acidic concentration), increase in heart rate, core temperature and breathing frequency as a result of trying to 'blow off' excess CO2. How is it tested? It is measured with successive bouts of intense exercise. Your expired air is measured with the metabolic cart to determine your VO2 for each workload. A finger prick of blood is taken at the end of each stage with a portable blood lactate analyzer. Your heart rate is monitored continuously throughout the test. Why is it useful? Running speed, VO2, blood lactate concentration and steady state heart rate for that workload are all plotted allowing us to determine your lactate profile. This will allow us to identify the intervals, Hr zones and training speeds that will enable you to train more individually and improve your ability to buffer lactic acid production Running Economy What is it? RE refers to the ability to run a greater distance or run the same distance faster with a lower oxygen cost. Therefore, you are able to do the work more efficiently. This is obviously important for runners who compete, but it is also important to elite professional athletes, who need to run for testing or training. How is it measured? Generally RE tests are conducted in 2 or 3 workloads each lasting 6 minutes long with 5-10 minutes of recovery. During each load your body will achieve a steady state and the intensity will remain aerobic. Your expired air is measured with the metabolic cart. Running economy is determined as the average VO2 across the last 3 minutes of the test. On a test re-test basis you will be able to see if your running economy is improving. How can you improve your RE?
Wingate Anearobic Test What is it? The Wingate Anaerobic Test is the most researched anaerobic test to date, it is the most widely used test for many professional sports organizations. The most commonly used test length is thirty seconds (but can be as high as ninety seconds), using a resistance equal to 7.5 % of your body weight in kilograms (for athletes this can be as high at 9.0% of body weight). Why is it useful? The test is used to determine peak anaerobic power and anaerobic capacity. Allowing us to determine your ability to sustain intense workloads, while battling muscular fatigue. Critical Power Tests What is it? Critical Power Tests combine some of the testing parameters used in direct VO2 max testing and power outputs generated as in a Wingate Test. Through out the test the subjects expired air is monitored with the metabolic cart to determine VO2 levels and volume of expired air. Also, the subjects heart rate is monitored every 15 seconds with a Polar Heart Rate Monitor and power output is measured on a second by second basis with the Opto Sensor 2000 and recorded on the power software. Why is it important? A critical power test allows us to determine functional VO2, power output, revolutions per minutes (on the cycle ergometer), and heart rate to implement the correct intensity for training intervals. Why are intervals important? Intervals allow you to train and cause change to specific parts of your physiology. They can allow us to tap into previously untapped areas allowing you to perform at a higher level. Strength and Power Tests What are they? PROformance strength tests consist of push-ups, sit-ups, reverse pull-ups, bench press, and squats. All these tests provide us with a thorough understanding of your strengths and weaknesses for both your upper and lower body muscles. PROformance power tests consist of vertical jump, standing long jump, and a seated medicine ball put. These tests provide us with information regarding the explosive ability of your upper and lower body musculature. Why are they important? The strength tests are critical for us to design an individual periodized program that meets your goals. The bench press and squat tests allow us to determine the loads which you should be able to lift for all exercises in your program. The remainder of the strength tests and power tests are used on a test re-test basis to evaluate your improvement. Body Composition What is it? It refers to the size and proportion of your body. We will measure your height, weight, body girths, and determine your % body fat. How is body fat measured? We will take measurements from six different sites on your body using Harpenden Calipers. These skinfold thicknesses can be inserted into formulas to derive your % body fat. Why is this important? Excess body fat can lead to an increased risk of developing diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Most athletes do not have a problem with excess body fat but body fat does not utilize O2 or blood directly so it is a cumbersome tag-along which affects efficiency. |
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