VO2 Max Testing

What Is a VO2 Max Test?

A VO2 Max test involves a graded exercise test on a treadmill or on a bike. The test begins at a very light intensity and gets slightly harder each minute until maximum exertion.

vo2-max-renue-health

The subject wears a mask and we measure the volume of air expired along with the percentages of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the expired air. From this data, we determine the following:

Aerobic Threshold:

Aerobic threshold is the optimal intensity (wattage, running speed and/or heart-rate) for developing endurance. At aerobic threshold intensity, the body is recruiting almost all of the slow-twitch muscle fibers, but not yet recruiting any of the fast twitch fibers. Most athletes, without the benefit of physiological testing, overestimate this intensity. Using optimal intensity for basic endurance training maximizes fat burning and minimizes recovery time and injury risk. Most athletes perform basic endurance workouts at an intensity that is too high. Conducting basic endurance workouts at optimal intensity is much more efficient, enabling increased training volume as well as greater frequency and better quality speed workouts.

Lactate Threshold:

Known as the red-line to endurance athletes, this threshold is the highest intensity at which the body can recycle lactic acid as quickly as it is produced. Just below lactate threshold (LT), an athlete is working hard and acid levels are moderately high, but it does not accumulate. Speeding up just a little will cause lactic acid accumulation. Knowing this precise threshold enables an athlete to work out most efficiently.

Lactic acid is a byproduct of exercise, which makes the muscles burn, and may contribute to fatigue. Athletes during exercise, even at low intensity, are always producing lactic acid. Their muscles are also constantly burning lactic acid and using it as a fuel. At low intensity the muscles easily recycle as much acid as is produced. The higher the intensity is, the more acid is produced by the muscles. At lactate threshold intensity, the muscle is able to recycle the acid as quickly as it is produced. If the athlete speeds up just slightly, the muscles produce more acid than it can recycle and acid accumulates, causing fatigue and damaging the muscles.

VO2 Max:

VO2 Max is the volume of oxygen the body uses during one minute of maximal exercise. This data tells your potential for endurance athletics. While aerobic and lactate thresholds are the best predictors of current endurance performance, VO2 Max is one indicator of an athlete’s potential. This test is conveniently available in our institute.

Benefits of VO2 Max Testing

The single most critical factor that determines the benefit of aerobic exercise is intensity – how hard you exercise. Training at the correct intensity for each type of workout optimizes the body’s response, giving you the greatest workout efficiency.

Most people exercise too hard. Whether attempting to improve endurance, lose weight, or increase sustainable speed, almost everyone goes harder than is ideal. Testing is the only way to learn the most efficient workout intensities for your unique physiology and get the most out of every workout.

In any structured workout program, each workout should have a specific purpose. To achieve the ideal response from the body, the stimulation must be specific to the desired adaptation and must allow quick recovery for the next key workout. Intensity, more than any other variable, determines the body’s response to the training stimulus.

This absolutely does not mean that harder is better. The optimal training schedule for anyone provides the lowest volume and intensity that will stimulate the desired adaptation, not the highest that the individual can sustain. This is a major paradigm shift for many people who grew up hearing, “No pain, No gain.” If working out at a certain intensity is good, then even harder would be better. Wrong!

Training efficiently means balancing the cost and benefit of each workout. Every workout has a cost, in terms of recovery. Every workout also increases fitness. Efficient workouts provide training benefits that are worth the recovery cost. Everyone, at any point in time, has certain recovery resources. While smart athletes develop habits to maximize these resources, they will always be finite, and need to be budgeted. Anything that is going to expend these resources needs to provide a proportionate benefit.

Glycogen Storage: Glycogen is the form of carbohydrate, stored in our muscles and in our liver that serves as the primary fuel for endurance exercise. Hard or long workouts expend tremendous amounts of glycogen and demand full fuel tanks at the beginning of the workout. Maintaining optimal intensity makes best use of this limited resource.

Muscular Recovery: Muscles sustain damage during running workouts. Lactic acid accumulation damages the muscles chemically and impact stress damages the muscles mechanically, producing tiny tears called micro-trauma.

Connective Tissue Damage: Every workout, but especially a run workout, stresses and damages connective tissues. These tissues need to heal and rebuild adequately between workouts.

Injury Risk: Injuries are an ever-present risk in any workout, especially run workouts. During high-volume or high-intensity workouts, risk for injuries increases.

Maintaining optimal intensity during every workout is a key aspect of managing these risks.

Psychological Factors: While everyone wants to think they are more motivated than the next guy, even for the most motivated person in the world, this is a finite resource. Whatever effort you put in to your workouts needs to provide a proportional benefit.

These are all limited resources, and exercising at the right pace during each workout makes the best use of them. This allows you to benefit maximally from each workout and gets you ready sooner for the next key workout.

ReNue Health is located conveniently in Springboro, Ohio with easy access from Dayton International Airport, Cincinnati International Airport or the adjacent Wright Brothers Private Airport (MGY) for those travelling by private aviation. Click here for directions and contact information.

Only one visit is necessary to perform a comprehensive history, interview, and education. Follow up evaluations, adjustments and balancing of hormones are done by phone or written communications and a return visit to Dr. Rob is not necessary. Ongoing testing and adjustment is mandatory and performed through a laboratory convenient to your home.

Haven’t Been Feeling Like Yourself Lately?

It’s that nagging feeling that something does not feel quite right and you can’t put your finger on it. You’re a busy person and your own health is the last thing you have time to think about, but think again!

To learn how the ReNue Health Opportunity may help restore your youth and vitality, simply call 937-350-5527 or visit us online at www.renuehealth.com

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

To schedule a consultation simply call 937.350.5527 and one of our team members will assist you.

Please complete all Renue Health questionnaires, ordered laboratory and obtain any necessary old medical records before you arrive for your initial consultation. This will allow Dr. Rob and his staff time to compile your biomarkers effectively and efficiently.

You will receive an email after you make a consultation appointment that contains a link to our online patient forms. You can then download all of the intake forms, Elite Lifestyle Questionnaire and Nutritional Questionnaire. https://www.renuehealth.com/request-an-appointment/

Upon completion of your consultation, you will receive a copy of all your biomarkers, relevant data and recommendations on a flash drive. Should you need additional copies of your medical records, a $30 administrative fee will be charged for copies, handling, and postage.

We require a credit card number at the time of scheduling your consultation. Our administrative team immediately begins creating your portfolio to gather your administrative data and biomarkers. We are already working behind the scene in preparation of your upcoming consultation. This credit card will be used to hold your appointment and will be kept on file and will be used to complete payment for services, unless otherwise specified by you at the time of check out. We accept cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
We do not accept insurance.

We will provide you with an itemized bill that you can file with your insurance company. Patients who have out-of-network benefits may or may not be reimbursed. Our office cannot assist you with claim resolution.

You may be able to use pre-tax dollars from a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to pay for your fees related to your services from this office.

Renue Health nor Dr. Rob nor any of his employees or affiliates is responsible for payment differences or amounts set by your insurance company. Payment amounts vary per insurance provider depending on your agreement with them and this office is not responsible for dictating or making you aware of the terms and agreements between your insurance company and yourself. Please contact your insurance company with any questions or concerns regarding covered amounts and deductibles.

All of our services must be paid for at the time the services are delivered.

Dr. Rob does not fill out medical disability forms for patients, and does not submit medical records to support disability claims.
Your consultation must be cancelled or rescheduled at least 72 hours (3 business days) prior to your consultation time, or you will be charged $100.00 US for the visit. You may cancel your appointment by calling the office at 937-350-5527 or send us an email through our directions and contact information page.

We currently have a waiting list for consultations and many of our clients are travelling from considerable distances. We ask that if you know that you need to cancel or reschedule, please let us know as soon as possible so that we may offer your consultation time to someone on the current waiting list.

In case of a serious medical emergency, call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency room. Dr. Rob serves as a medical consultant. Unless we have accepted you as a primary care concierge patient by application and contractual arrangement, we require you have a primary care physician for your urgent care and problems that arise when Dr. Rob is not available. Our staff is available to take your message about your health Monday through Friday 10am-4pm. We are not available outside of these hours.

Please allow up to 72 business hours for a return call. In many instances, we may be able to get back to you sooner than that. Another way to contact the Renue Health Team is by sending us an email through our directions and contact information page.

If you are a concierge patient then you have Dr. Rob’s private cell phone number and Team numbers and can feel free to contact him or any of the team members directly.

We have access to laboratories nationwide to accommodate your needs, whether you live locally or out of state.

Some of the specialty labs that we recommend involve blood, stool, urine, or saliva samples and can be done by you in your home. You will be given all lab kits and step-by-step instructions for at-home tests at the time of your consult. Once all of the final lab results are received, we will review them with you at your visit.

When we request laboratory tests, it is essential that they be performed promptly. Many tests can take up to 4 weeks to perform and for the results to be returned to us. Please do not delay in completing your tests. Some of the specialized tests may not be considered medically necessary by your insurance carrier, and therefore might not be covered.

It is your responsibility to make a follow-up appointment to review your lab results with Dr. Rob. If you are unable to return to our office to review your labs, we are available by Skype, Face time, or telephone.

We do not accept returns of supplements or specialty labs. Specialty lab kits must be used within 3 months.
Nutritional therapy and laboratory/diagnostic testing are integral components of your treatment plan. Test results are used to design your personal health care program as well as uncover the root causes of your medical condition.

Nutritional supplements are often recommended and we will help you select and find the highest quality products.

The supplements that we recommend at Renue Health are available for purchase from our office.

It is possible to have your supplements automatically shipped to your home or office for your convenience.

Refills are granted at the time of your consultation or follow up appointments. When you are running low on your medication, it is a REMINDER that you are probably due for your follow up appointment. I generally prescribe enough medication to last until your next follow up appointment. Supplements are immediately available to you by calling the office, visiting the office, or by ordering directly from the websites.

Information about Dr. Rob, Renue Health and the focus areas of our practice is available on our website at https://www.renuehealth.com and you can learn more about Dr. Rob at https://www.renuehealth.com/about-renue-health/

These hotels are conveniently located nearby Renue Health.

Hilton Garden Inn
12000 Innovation Way
Miamisburg, OH 45342
(937) 247-5850

Hampton Inn & Suites
25 Greenwood Ln
Springboro, OH 45066
(937) 743-2121

Comfort Inn
15 Sharts Rd
Springboro, OH 45066
(937) 746-0151

While the focus of our practice is on the optimization of male performance and health we also do optimize the performance and health of women. Medical conditions we treat and testing we perform:

  • Abdominal Pain
  • Adrenal Fatigue
  • Allergies
  • Athletic Performance
  • Autoimmune Conditions
  • BioIdentical Hormone Replacement
  • Bell’s Palsy
  • Carotid Ultrasound with CIMT
  • Cholesterol Management
  • Comprehensive Intracellular Nutrient Testing
  • Comprehensive Laboratory Testing
  • Detoxification Programs
  • DEXA Scan
  • Diabetes
  • Digestive Issues
  • Dysautonomia
  • Fitness Evaluations
  • Flexibility Testing
  • Food Sensitivity Testing
  • Gastric Inflammation
  • Gluten Sensitivities
  • Healthy Aging
  • Heart Attack & Stroke Prevention
  • Hormone Optimization for Men & Women
  • Leaky Gut
  • Low Testosterone (Low T)
  • Medical Body Composition Analysis (mBCA)
  • Men’s Health
  • Mental Focus & Clarity
  • MTHFR gene mutations
  • Metabolic Syndrome
  • Neurocognitive Testing for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and ADD
  • Nutrition Counseling & Optimization
  • Natural Weight Loss
  • Parasympathetic Overtraining Syndrome
  • POTS Syndrome
  • Strength Testing
  • Sympathetic Overtraining Syndrome
  • Underactive Thyroid
  • VENDYS Vascular Endothelium Testing
  • VO2 Max Testing
  • Women’s Health

To learn how the ReNue Health Opportunity may help restore your youth and vitality, simply call

937-350-5527