In this episode of All Things Endurance, host Rick Prince chats with environmental and exercise physiologist, Mike Weiss of Alta Health and Performance Solutions (www.altahps.com). Specifically, Mike discusses what the most popular physiological tests are, as well as how to interpret and apply the results.  

About Mike Weiss 

Mike Weiss is an environmental and exercise physiologist who owns his own practice – Alta Health and Performance Solutions in northern California. Mike is also an endurance athlete who focuses on ultrarunning.
 
 Areas covered in this podcast:  

1.       What is your background and how did you get into physiological testing?

2.       Physiological testing is becoming more popular, in part due to the interest in the ‘Norwegian Method.’ However, in your own summation, why is testing important?

3.       Ideally, when and at what intervals should an athlete get tested throughout a year?

4.       For endurance athletes, the two most popular main physiological tests are VO2 Max and lactate. Could you explain a bit about each test, why they are important and how they correlate to each other?

5.       What are some limitations with respect to VO2 Max testing (i.e., muscular fatigue, etc…)?

6.       If a person doesn’t have access to a lab, what are some field tests that they can perform to approximate lactate threshold and VO2 Max?

7.       From the perspective of implementing training intensities, or for lack of a better word, training zones, could you explain how to apply the results of a VO2 Max and Lactate threshold test?

8.       What can an individual expect to pay for a VO2 Max and Lactate Threshold test?

Are there any individuals where a VO2 max test would be contraindicated?