VO2 Testing

This past Thursday I had another medical test for my upcoming gastric sleeve surgery.  This was the VO2 Max test and was ordered to make sure I was cleared of any unknown or hidden cardiac issues that might be there due to my family's history of cardiac troubles.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew that I'd be riding a stationary bike.  Other than that, I had to do my research online.

From Stanford University's Sports Medicine Center:

VO2 Max testing measures how effectively the body
consumes oxygen during exercise. It is a measure of an
athlete’s maximum ability to pull oxygen from the air,
transport it into the blood, and deliver it to active muscles.
VO2 Max is dependant on several factors, including lung
capacity and function, cardiac output, oxygen delivery, and
the oxidative capacity of muscle cells. Theoretically, since
the greater the volume of oxygen consumed by the body
the greater the body’s ability to do aerobic work, VO2 Max
values can be used as a benchmark for individual’s level of
fitness.

When I arrived and I was ready to be tested, I was hooked up to an EKG machine, and asked to do several tests to determine how my lungs are.  I had my nose closed off to prevent me from breathing through it, and closed my mouth around a plastic tube.  I did a total of nine breathing tests this way.

Not me, but you get the idea!

 After that it was time for me to get on the bike.  This time instead of the nose clamps, I had a full mask fitted to my face which prevented me from breathing through my nose.  It's a good thing I breathe through my mouth anyway, so I was used to this as I had to once again breathe through my mouth into a tube.  After the technician placed an oxygen sensor on my finger, I was ready to start pedaling.

No, not me again, but this was close to the setup I was on.

I was told to keep my speed between 60 and 70 and the load on the bike would start to increase.  It took me a little over seven minutes to be told to stop, as I hit my maximum heart rate at that point.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing, but I am leaning towards good.

After the bike test I did two more breathing test to see if I may have sports asthma. 

I asked the technician that from her experience, was there anything she could see that would preclude me from having the surgery and she said no, not from what she saw.  I still have to wait to see what the actual doctor who reads this study says, but I honestly don't think anything from this test will preclude me.

So onward I go .  Up next for me is my upper endoscopy, set for June 4.

Have a great rest of the day!

Eric