Okay, we thought and thought about the perfect name for this test. We wanted it to be so descriptive that everyone would instantly understand the attributes of the test simply by reading the name. We failed. So our marketing department came up with “VO3”.
Their slogan: “VO3: it’s one better.”
Sounds like a silly slogan, but we feel pretty strongly that the VO3 Submax Test actually is one (or more,) “better” than the VO2 Max test.
VO2 stands for Volume of Oxygen and “Max” refers to; maximum rate the athlete can transport (and metabolize) Oxygen to the muscles during intense exercise. The VO3 test does not directly test your Oxygen consumption. We find it unnecessary. Oxygen is of course one component of the fuel the body metabolizes to produce muscle activation. The analogy of VO2 max to a car would be, how much Air can you get into the engine. It makes sense that the more O2 you can get to your muscles, the more output (watts, speed, etc) you can produce.
One main difference is that VO3 measures your ACTUAL output. The car analogy for output would be Horsepower. If you wanted the fastest car, you would put more emphasis on ACTUAL Horsepower than Fuel flow. So, by measuring your Power output (Watts,) we are measuring your actual mechanical output. We skip the fuel (VO2) measurement. It’s more applicable to measure what you are doing with that fuel – creating power.
A stressful characteristic of VO2 Max is the “max” part. During a VO2 max test you are encouraged to exercise until you absolutely can go no harder / further. The pain factor is very high. Your Perceived Exertion Level is 10. It is not a test suited for a large part of the population. If you are not extremely motivated to push through all sorts of pain, the test may be inconclusive. In contrast, the VO3 Submax Test is much easier to take. The effort level you feel is similar to that which you feel during a typical warm-up, and this is true whether you are an accomplished athlete, or you are just starting an exercise program.
Some studies have shown that VO2 MAX by itself:
Tracking your fitness improvement as a result of training, (power output increases while internal effort remains consistent over time), is a foundation of the VO3 Submax Test.
Because the test measures changes in your fitness level, it is meant to be taken on a periodic basis. The more often you take the test, the more closely you can track your progress. We offer packages for 4 tests ($120) 6 ($165) and 12 tests ($300).
We look at accuracy mainly in terms of repeatability. If you take the test on 2 successive days you should produce a similar score. In general, this is the case. The most important influence that can cause poor repeatability is fluctuations in daily resting heart rate. For best results we strongly advise you to keep track of your resting heart rate. If your RHR is more than 5 beats higher or lower than your normal or average RHR, you should not take the test that day. Also, it is best to be at a similar “state of recovery” each time you take the test. This means that taking the test after a weekend of racing will tend to produce inconsistent results. We recommend that you are well rested and recovered on the day you take the test and that you avoid caffeine.
One comment we hear a lot is “I don’t want to take a test now and see how bad of shape I’m in. Let me train for a couple of months then I’ll take a test” Actually, the VO3 test does not grade your score to be low, average, high, in or otherwise compare it to other peoples scores. You receive your own personal score, only to be compared with your own successive scores. Actually, taking the test when you at a lower state of fitness only means that you will be setting yourself up to see more improvement.
As a semi-serious bike racer, I would tend to not train much at all through the winter. I would take the test in the early Springtime to establish a base level, and then I would periodically take the test through the season to track my progress.
If your training / exercise program is more consistent, then feel free to take a test today.