VO2Max / LT / MHR testing in LA

petersta

Hi there,

Does anyone know how best to get vo2max / lactate threshold / Max Heart Rate properly measured. I have been looking under sports medicine and cardiac monitoring in the yellow pages with no real luck.

I live in Hollywood, but don't mind travelling a reasonable distance and paying a reasonable fee to get this done properly.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks, Peter

babynate

Pete, I've had the same problem, but then found out about a study that a student was conducting here at a local university (SU)...so try calling the physiology dept. at a local college or university - that is, if the univ. has a physiology/sports medicine dept.

Mike

2LAP

Yes most universities where they do physiology/sport science will do the tests. You could contact the ACSM or in the UK contact BASES.

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J-MAT

Petersta, Babynate:

Check out this link:

http://www.drfalsetti.com/

Dr. Falsetti has been in the cycling/testing game for at least 13 years that I'm aware of. He's in Irvine, so if you are willing to drive to OC, you can get solid testing from a guy who is used to working with high-level riders.

In my experience, university testing is often less than ideal. Equipment is often old, of questionable calibration, and the people doing the testing could care less if you are a time trialer or a runner.

Happy testing!!!

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2LAP

Thats really sad! I haven't had the same experiance, but it is worth asking a few questions before you get anyone to do a test!

J-MAT

2LAP:

When I was an e.p. student at a well-known university, I got my VO2 done for free. One of the department heads tested me. He was a nice enough of a guy, but I didn't think the equipment was very impressive or accurate to say the least.

At the time, I was time trialing at around 26.5 mph, and my VO2 according to the test was 41 ml/kg, which is about the same for an ordinary, sedentary adult male in his 20's.

I think you guys in Europe are far more serious about riding than we are in the U.S. The fact that we produced guys like LeMond and Armstrong was just a fluke if you ask me.

Most Americans don't respect riders at all, from drivers on the road to physiology labs, to whatever, at least in my experience.

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2LAP

Was that your VO2 max, that seems very low given your TT speed.

Has Lance had an impact by raising the profile of Cyclists on your side of the pond.

J-MAT

2LAP:

That's what my point about the accuracy of the university machines was. 26.5 mph isn't that fast, but it's a lot faster than someone with a VO2 of 41 ml/kg could ride!!!

Armstrong has helped a good deal, just as LeMond did. But in the end, guys who shave their legs and wear lycra just don't get the kind of respect a stadium-sport athlete gets.

I don't think many "athletes" would last very long in professional road cycling due to the difficulty, especially when they saw the paltry sums most pros earn. You almost have to laugh when you see a bloated, steroid taking player earning $80 million over 4 years, only to spend a lot of that time on the disabled list due to a problem with their toe or something else minor.

Unfortunately, these pampered players are the people getting respect. Most racers will start a race as long as they can move their legs, regardless of any other injuries. Cutting off casts the morning of a race is not uncommon either for cyclists/motorcycle racers.

You gotta be tough to be a rider!!!

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ric_stern/RST

J-Mat,

if that's a well known uni that you tested at, then i'd name and shame them, so that no one else goes there. Unless they're well known for being crap.

i hope it's not representative of what's available stateside. certainly doesn't seem to be with my colleagues on your side of the pond!

I'm pretty sure, that here, even 1st year students would have realised there was an error in the calibration process...

Ric

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J-MAT

Ric:

Well, I was looking for something at least around 55-58 ml/kg, but obviously, it didn't work out that way.

The guy was one of my professors, and inside I wanted to tell him the machine was not calibrated properly, had a hole in the hose, or something, but I didn't. He did say I lasted longer than anyone he had seen in 20 years though, so you can imagine how disapointed I was when he told me the numbers.

Well, I got it done for free so at least I wasn't out any money. I can't speak for other universities, but I think in Europe, you take cycling more seriously and in general, care more about the accuracy of things. Cycling in the U.S. gets little repect or attention.

No big deal though. I was healthy enough to ride my bike fairly quickly and that's what was really important, even though at the time, I was REALLY into the numbers!!!

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