Rise to Your Maximum Potential with a VO₂ Max Test!
Assessing a patient’s VO₂ Max level can be an integral part of helping them achieve their highest potential of fitness. This important exercise metric also helps our specialists teach patients how to work out as efficiently as possible.
Proudly serving patients in both the Charlotte and Charleston areas, Better Life is committed to providing the highest quality of preventive wellness care. In fact, we’re the first medical practice in South Carolina to provide patients with this test. If you’d like more information about our practice or are interested in scheduling a consultation appointment, contact us today!
What is the VO₂ Max?
The VO₂ Max is the maximum amount of oxygen that a person can utilize during intense exercise. VO₂ Max is an important determining factor of a person’s ability to perform prolonged, intense exercise, and is a good indicator of overall cardiovascular fitness. This is because the more oxygen that an individual’s body can use to fuel high-intensity exercise, the more efficiently their body can produce energy.
How Does the VO₂ Max Test Work?
The VO₂ Max test is a highly accurate way for physicians to measure their patient’s VO₂ Max levels. This test requires that patients engage in intense exercise on a treadmill or stationary bike in the controlled comfort of our office. During this exercise, a special mask is worn so that the volume of air inhaled and exhaled can be precisely measured.
Oxygen consumption continues to rise as exercise intensity does, but only up to a certain point. Eventually, oxygen consumption stays at a constant rate, even as exercise intensity increases. This is the moment when the patient reaches their VO₂ Max oxygen consumption.
While this test gives us an incredibly accurate measure of a patient’s exact VO₂ Max, it can be difficult for some patients to sustain vigorous exercise long enough for us to take this measurement. In these cases, we have alternative testing methods available to estimate their levels.
How are the Results of this Test Used?
By evaluating the VO₂ Max levels of our patients, our medical team can help them work out more efficiently and improve their overall fitness. Using these results, we can provide a target heart rate range for them to meet while working out in order to increase their overall capacity for aerobic exercise. Our specialists can also recommend specific workouts that are tailored to each patient’s current fitness level and future goals.
Are you interested in learning more about how your body works and improving your overall level of fitness? We can help! Contact Better Life today to find out more about our VO₂ Max test or the comprehensive age management programs we offer to both our male and female patients. We look forward to hearing from you!