VO2 Testing

You look and feel like Darth Vader, but the mask measures the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide exhaled and the computer compares the oxygen to carbon dioxide ratios to determine the aerobic threshold (the heart rate at which an individual burns the hightest percentage of fat, relative to carbohydrate) and the anaerobic threshold (the heart rate at which lactic acid starts to accumulate in the blood stream). The VO2data are output in ml of oxygen per kg body mass per minute.

Women have a 15-20% lower VO2Max than men because of a higher body fat and lower hemoglobin levels in the blood. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat and thus requires more O2. So the more muscle there is, the higher the O2 consumption. Testosterone promotes the production of hemoglobin. Consequently, one liter of male blood has 150-160 grams of hemoglobin. One liter of female blood has 130-140 grams of hemoglobin.
Knowing these numbers can help an athlete pinpoint areas of improvement.

Nick Tonkin from Engineered Athletics http://www.engineeredathletics.com/ in Warren does VO2 Max testing as well as other tests like body fat, resting metabolic rate and more. Make sure to tell him if you are a Wolverine Sports Club member.