Pre-test instructions

What to expect

• Your session will last around 1 hour in total
• You will wear a chest strap for accurate heart rate monitoring throughout
• The test takes place on a treadmill, starting at a very easy pace to warm you up gradually. Every 4 minutes the pace increases by a small increment
• Before we begin, we will briefly walk you through how to safely step on and off the treadmill sides during the test. It is straightforward, and we will make sure you are comfortable before we start
• At each interval we take a quick lactate reading. This involves a small pinprick to your earlobe or fingertip. It is brief and most people barely notice it, though the site may be slightly tender for a few hours afterwards. A small drop of blood is normal and nothing to worry about, just bear it in mind when choosing what to wear
• We keep going until you reach your maximum effort, but you can stop at any time and take water throughout. Pushing to your limit gives us the most accurate picture of your physiology
• Afterwards we will analyse your results and send you a full report within 48 hours

What to bring

• Your usual running shoes
• Clothes you are happy to run hard in (bear in mind that small droplets of blood can end up on them due to mixing with sweat)
• Water and a small towel if you would like one
• Remove any earrings or ear piercings from earlobes beforehand if possible, as we will need to use the earlobe for your lactate sample

Preparing for your test

• Avoid strenuous exercise in the 24 hours before your test, a brisk walk at most
• Avoid carbohydrates and caffeine in the 3 hours before your test, both affect your data
• You can train as normal afterwards

Medical conditions

If you indicated any medical conditions on your health questionnaire, we may reach out before your appointment to make sure we can facilitate a safe and effective test.