LT and VO2 testing

On Saturday January, 6th, members of the Cycle Logic racing team showed up at the UF & Shands Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute for some performance testing.

The UF & Shands Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute has graciously sponsored our team this year, and as a result, we have some of the most advanced performance testing equipment at our disposal to determine our lactate threshold and VO2 capabilities, establish training zones and ultimately improve our performances in races!

What exactly do I mean by VO2 and LT? I'm still fuzzy on the physiology of it, but here's the short version:

LT- The blood lactate profile is the most important predictor of endurance performance potential in steady-state events (e.g. time trials in cycling). The lactate profile test is the gold standard used by elite endurance athletes to determine optimal training intensities and is the most effective way to track the progress of training. After determining a lactate profile, they provide training zones based on both heart rate and wattage.

VO2- An excellent first evaluation, the VO2 test gives a good picture of overall fitness level and performance potential. Futhermore, from this test we can provide heart rates and power values that correlate to the athlete's ventilatory threshold (a good estimate of lactate threshold). From this value, they establish training zones and intensities for us.

We were all amazed at the facilities as we arrived bright and early. Anthony Musalo provided the bagels, but no coffee as we weren't allowed caffeine prior to testing (which did not go over too well with one Veronica Geist!)

Veronica kicked things off with a solid performance as the rest of us stood around asking questions of our highly trained and very informative exercise physiologists, Pat and Jeff.

One by one Team Cycle Logic members went through the testing process as noses were plugged, masks were worn, fingers were pricked and watts were increased. Those of us who had already tested or were waiting to be tested showed our support for each member by cheering, encouraging and sometimes a little friendly mocking of the current guinea pig.

Both Ron Palsgrove and I (Paul Messal) were unable to test on that saturday due to a migrane and a cold, respectively, but came back to the UF & Shands Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute the following thursday to subject ourselves to ~30 minutes of increasing pain. That evening, all of those who tested reconvened at the Institute (I'll shorten it to just "Institute", cause I'm getting sick of typingUF & Shands Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute) to go over our profiles and learn how they relate to our training. Pat O'Connor led the informal discussion as we all got a handle on what all of the graphs, charts and flow-sheets really meant.

All in all a very successful event for Team Cycle Logic. It's rare that an amateur cycling team in it's first year of existence is afforded the resources that we have been through our sponsorship with the Institute. Be sure to express your thanks to Pat, Kevin, and Jeff the next time you see them.

- For more pictures from the LT and VO2 testing events, click here
- For more information on the UF & Shands Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute, click here