Yesterday I went to the human performance lab at the local medial school to see an exercise physiologist. I had my VO2 Max and lactic acid levels tested. These tests were very intersting. The entire appointment took a little over two hours but I should get everything I ever wanted to know about my fitness level out of it.
When I first went in he had another doctor come in and check my heart to make sure there was nothing wrong with it besides the inappropriate sinus tach. Everything checked out fine and they gave me the go ahead to do the test. I asked him how high my HR had to get before he pulled me and he said that as long as I wasn't light headed or or acted like I was in distress he wouldn't. Of course they did the baseline vitals at rest.
Next he had me take my shoes off and he looked at my feet and ankles. He had me stand up in just my sports bra and running skirt (thank god for those 55 lost pounds) and had me stand facing every direction and took measurements of my shoulders, spine, hips, knees, etc. Apparently I put a lot more weight on my right side than my left and one shoulder is higher then the other. He also did my weight and body fat percentage. He didn't calculate it but from the figures I remember and plugging them into the computer it is somewhere around 20%, that seems a lot lower then I would have expected so I will see what it says in his report. He did say that it was very good.
Then he put me on the treadmill barefoot and had me walk at 4.0 and run at 5.0 while he video taped it from all angles.
My favorite part is next. The VO2 Max test. I had to put a contraption on much like this thing.
Let me just tell you that running with that thing in your mouth and your nose plugged, not to mention fighting the tube from getting yanked out of the machine or out of your mouth through your teeth is not easy!!
Before I started running he pricked my finger to get resting lactic acid levels. The treadmill started off slow (about 3.5) and got faster every 3 minutes. At the end of each wave I had to put my thumb on the side of the treadmill so he could take more blood....all while running and trying to breath through my mouth with this tube thing I made it to I think 5.5 or 6 before I felt like I was going to drown in my own spit and having a panic attack from trying to run and breathe through the tube, having my fingers pricked every 2.5 minutes and feeling like I was on a leash from my the mouth tube. I probably could have gone up one more level on the speed, but I just couldn't do it anymore.
The preliminary results I got was that my HR was indeed high, it was over 200 when we stopped the test, but my VO2 level was in the excelent range. Go figure? My lactic acid levels were also through the roof, which isn't good because that kind of triggers muscle fatigue.
I told him before we started that i do intervals to try to keep my heart rate down. He said his goal is to put me at a training pace that I don't have to do that. I go back in Monday so he can go over the test with me and give me a custom training plan. I am excited about everything but seeing the tape of me running in a sports bra and running skirt
The ends of my fingers are bruised up today from all the blood letting, but that was the worse part of it.
I kind of wonder if my lactic acid levels are so high because of my low calorie intake. I don't know enough about it and the Google isn't much help to me, way to scientific for me to follow. I guess I will find out Monday.



This is so interesting. My brother was telling me all about this and he had it done too. He described it to me but that picture you posted makes it really stand out now! I think I would have had an anxiety attack if that was in my face! You did great and I think it's really cool that you are having this done .
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