VO2max & lactate
$299
What is it?
VO2max tells you the size of your aerobic engine. Lactate threshold tells you how much of that engine you can actually use — and for how long.
Together, they give you the two most important numbers in endurance sport. Not one or the other, but the relationship between them — because it's that relationship that determines what you can sustain at race pace, when you'll blow up, and exactly where your training needs to focus to move both numbers in the right direction.
Most athletes are training with one hand tied behind their back because they've never had both measured at the same time. This test removes that blind spot.
How we test
We use the VO2 Master Pro for breath-by-breath gas exchange throughout the test and the Lactate Plus v2 analyser for blood lactate measurement at each stage. A small blood sample — a single drop from a fingertip — is taken at the end of each steady-state stage to build a complete lactate curve alongside the gas exchange data.
After maximal effort, we continue sampling blood lactate every minute until it begins to fall. This post-maximal clearance data tells us how efficiently your body recovers from hard work — a key variable for training prescription that most protocols skip entirely.
Our step protocol holds each stage long enough for physiology to stabilise before we progress — producing far more accurate threshold data than ramp-based approaches.
Testing available on the Wattbike Proton, Impulse RT700 treadmill, or Concept2 RowErg. Tell us your sport when you book.
What the results tell you
VO2max — your aerobic ceiling
LT1 (aerobic threshold) — the intensity below which fat is the primary fuel and recovery between sessions is maximised
LT2 (anaerobic threshold) — the highest intensity you can sustain aerobically before lactate accumulates faster than it clears
Lactate clearance rate — how quickly you recover from maximal effort
Fat and carbohydrate oxidation rates at each stage
Personalised training zones — expressed in heart rate, pace, and power, derived from your actual physiology
Results debrief — a clear, practical explanation of what your numbers mean for training
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Endurance athletes who want both thresholds precisely identified so their training zones are built on real data rather than estimates. Those who have done a VO2max test before but want the full lactate picture. Athletes approaching a key training block or race season who want a precise baseline to build from.
For the complete metabolic model — including VLaMax, metabolic phenotype, and INSCYD analysis — step up to the Full Metabolic Profile.
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Allow 75–90 minutes including set-up, the full protocol including recovery lactate sampling, and results review.
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No exercise for 24 hours before your test
No food or caffeine for 3 hours beforehand — water is fine
Bring your shoes and tell us your pedal system when booking (cycling)
Wear comfortable exercise clothing
All prices NZD inclusive of GST.