SaltLakeFit.com

Hey Everyone! I received this info from Nicole regarding vo2 Testing. There have been several requests so here it is:

http://www.health.utah.edu/peak/Testing_Services/index.html

Peak Academy at the University Health Science Department does the vo2 testing for between $40-$65 depending on which test you choose.

Which test is recommended? Will the $40 test give us the information needed?

Hi everyone:

It was great meeting everyone on Saturday morning! I hope that you learned alot about heart rate monitoring from my presentation!

I have received a few requests already for VO2 testing facilities in your area. I spent some time this morning and did not find very many in the Salt Lake City area, but here is one that you might want to check out.

http://intermountainhealthcare.org/hospitals/tosh/services/sportstraining/Pages/SportsPhysiology.aspx

You can contact Carrrie at 801-314-4955. The cost is $155. Please make sure that you let her know that you are a member Salt Lake Fit and you are training for a marathon.

Please post your comments about your testing experience here for others to learn from.

Eric

I wonder what the difference between the $40 test and the $155 test? That seems like quite a significant difference in cost?

That is a great question. If I lived in Salt Lake City (SLC), I would check the facilities out and give you my recommendation. Since, I don't live in SLC, here are a few of my thoughts. There are three main factors that influence the price here in Portland. I would assume that they are similar in SLC.

1. The VO2 Testing Equipment. Technology advances have produced newer VO2 testing equipment that is less expensive to purchase and operate with a much high quality of results than equipment produced 10 years ago. Facilities with older equipment, tend to charge more because their equipment was more expensive to purchase 10 years ago. Currently, excellent VO2 testing equipment can be purchased for about $15,000. Compare that with $150,000 equipment in the 90's. Companies that produce equipment with the latest technology, such as MedGraphics, have great equipment with high quality results and much better testor comfort than older equipment. Look for a testing facility with newer equipment. (One of the hospitals here in Oregon is using equipment that is connected to an old IBM PC (1981) with a 10meg hard drive! They charge $550 for a VO2 test! In the 90's, I used this facility for my own personal VO2 test. Since I found a facility with the latest test equipment, and $355 cheaper, I don't use this facility anymore!)

2. Administrator Credentials - The test administrator's credentials are important. Usually, the credentials will influence the test price. In Portland (Clearwater Chiropractic & Massage Clinic), a doctor administers the test ($195). In Seattle (Real Rehab Physical Therapy), a Physical Therapist administers the test ($40 + 95). The testor should have plenty of experience with administering the tests.

There is a Fitness Club here in Portland that has ANY personal trainer available administer the VO2 test. They charge $145 for the VO2 test. They have great testing equipment, but the test administrators aren't trained to administer the test properly. After reviewing half a dozen test results from this facility, I encourage people to not waste their money and just go to Clearwater. At Clearwater, I know they are going to get great test results every time!

3. Facility Size - The size of the facility effects the price. The larger the facility the higher the price. Doctor's offices and fitness clubs tend to have better prices than hospitals.

There are a lot of places that claim they will administer a VO2 test for you, but in Portland, most of them do not give you the results that you need. There is only one place in Portland that I recommend to get a VO2 Test done and that place is Clearwater Chiropractic & Massage Clinic. Now, you are probably saying: "Eric, I am not going to fly to Portland to get a $195 VO2 Test". I agree, I don't expect you to. But, on my website http://www.stressthenrest.com/ATTesting.htm, there is some information on the testing that may help you decide which testing facility in Salt Lake City is going to work for you. In addition, there is a real VO2 Test results chart posted here: http://www.stressthenrest.com/VO2%20Testing/VO2TestCaloriesVsHeartRate01.pdf. I would suggest that you print off the test results and take it with you to the testing facility. Ask to see a sample report from the testing facility and see if you are getting the same information as my chart. If you are not, then try a different facility.

Once someone finds a VO2 testing facility that produces good results, please post it on the discussion board, so others can use it.

Here is the bottom line information that you need in order to start maximizing your performance with a heart rate monitor.

1. Number of total calories being utilized at each heart rate (bpm)
2. Number of fat calories being utilized at each heart rate (bpm)
3. Heart rate where your body stops using fat calories and only uses sugar.

With this data, you can determine:

1. Where you are utilizing the highest percentage of body fat. This is where you train to lose body fat.

2. Where you are utilizing the lowest percentage of body fat. This is where you train to improve your speed.

3. Where you are utilizing 50% body fat and 50% sugar. This is where you train to improve your endurance. (Please note: It takes an experienced person to determine your actual endurance training heart rate range. The 50/50 is only a generic example. Your range will probably be different. This is why it is important to get the correct VO2 test results.)

You might even want to invite someone from the testing facility to come talk to your group and show you what they can do for your group. They should give your group a discount. The SeattleFit group gets about a 30% discount at their testing facility. I believe that the SeattleFit members pay a first time $40 fee for the testing mask and $95 for each test.

Keep those questions coming....

You can always email me (Eric@StressThenRest.com) directly if you individual questions.

Eric

Here are two more testing facilities in the Salt Lake City area:

LDS hospital has a Cardio2 this is Robert Jensen’s lab 801-408-3146.

Intermountain Medical Center also has a Cardio2 Liz Huggins is the contact 801-507-4634

I have not tried either of the facilities, so I don't know anything about them. They are recommendations from the MedGraphics sales representative for the Portland area.

Please post what ever information that you find, so that others can benefit.

Eric

I conduct VO2 testing in the SLC area. You can visit my site at www.fitnessrxs.com phone 801.503.6996

FinessRXS:

Nice price $55! In Seattle, the cost is $135 and in Portland $195. At $55, everyone in SLC Fit should be getting a VO2 test done.

I was not able to find any sample VO2 reports on your web site. Would you post the link to them?

Thanks,
Eric

Hi Eric,
here is an example report link.
http://www.fitnessrxs.com/VO2%20Test%20Report.pdf

FitnessRXS:

Nice data and charts. Would you give a simple explanation of how the person would use their individual VO2 data report to:

1. Utilize more body fat for fuel,
2. Eliminate chronic injuries, and/or
3. Improve their speed?

Thanks for your time,
Eric

Hi Eric,
I would be happy to address your questions. Measuring VO2 helps us understand how well our cardiovascular system is functioning and its ability to transport oxygen through the body and working muscles. It is a product of cardiac output and arteriole-venous oxygen difference (how much oxygen the exercising muscle is extracting from the blood)
We can use the data to prescribe exercise routines depending on the individual’s goal. If your goal is fat loss you would want to train at a lower intensity that some refer to the aerobic threshold. This is the intensity level that your cardiovascular system is at its peak efficiency and has no problems keeping up with the exercise demand. It is also the intensity that you are burning the highest amount of fat. Any intensity level above this you begin burning higher percentages of glucose (sugar). Although this is a much better level for burning fat there is seldom much improvement in cardiovascular performance because of the low intensity.
For those that want to improve pace or performance they would be better suited training in their anaerobic threshold. This is the intensity that the cardiovascular system can no longer meet the demands of the exercise intensity. It can no longer transport oxygen fast enough to the working muscle so that they can burn fat. The muscles will begin burning predominately glucose. However, this is the level that is most beneficial for improving cardiovascular system. The reason for this adaption is because the cardiovascular system is overloaded and stressed which stimulates many different mechanisms that improve fitness level. This is not the best level for burning fat during the activity, but does burn some fat post exercise for a longer period of time because it takes the body longer to recover.
You can use anaerobic threshold (AT) as a means to avoid injury. This is because some people may be training too high above their AT than necessary and can lead to overtraining injuries. Just as long as you are just above AT that is enough to improve cardiovascular level.
When performing a VO2 test we can identify when each of these physiological changes occurs and the heart rate at those points. The individual can then use those heart rate values during their exercise bouts to maximize performance and burn fat.

FitnessRXS:

Nice explanation!

Thank you.
Eric