Metabolic Testing

VO2Max is the max amount of volume (V) of oxygen (O2) that can be used to produce energy. The amount of energy produced to o work (i.e. muscle contraction) is related to the oxygen uptake. Therefore VO2max is often described as maximum aerobic capacity.

VLaMax is the max volume (V) of lactate (La) that can be produced. Since lactate is produced as a result of the combustion of carbohydrates, we can refer to VLaMax as the maximum glycolytic capacity.

Anaerobic threshold is the intensity (e.g. power) at which lactate production equals lactate combustion. This is also referred to as maximum lactate steady state.

FatMax is the intensity at which fat combustion is at its highest. As intensity increase, the amount of fat used as an energy source decreases and is replaced with the combustion of carbohydrates.

CarbMax is the intensity at which the amount of carbohydrates being combusted matches the maximal uptake of carbohydrates .

Glycogen is the main storage form of glucose in the body. Cells in the body take up the circulating glucose in response to insulin and store it in either the liver or muscle.

Metabolic profiling allows PCG to create pace and power zones that are specific to each athlete. These zones are used to ensure target intensity levels are hit (e.g. FaMax) and support the development of interval-based workouts.

The amount of lactate which is cleared (combusted) per minute (expressed as mmol/l/min). Knowing this rate allows for intervals to be precisely designed with the correct amount of recovery between workloads.

The rate at which lactate accumulates over time (expressed in mmol/l/min). When lactate accumulation equals lactate combustion, the athlete is at their anaerobic threshold.