VO2 Healthspan Assessment

Come rested and normally fuelled, in clothing you can both run/ride and balance in. No hard training for 24–48 hours, no caffeine for 3–4 hours (it changes your blood pressure), no alcohol for 24 hours. Come rested, normally fed and hydrated, in comfortable clothing and flat shoes you can walk and balance in. Bring your glasses and your usual medication list, and avoid caffeine for 3 hours (it affects blood pressure). Come rested and normally fuelled: no hard training for 24–48 hours, a normal light meal 2–3 hours before, well hydrated, no alcohol for 24 hours and caffeine kept to your usual routine.

• Important safety noteTell us about any injury, joint replacement, dizziness or balance difficulty before we start
• Important safety noteThe exercise test builds to maximal effort — you may slow down, pause or stop at any time
• Important safety noteTell the test leader about any illness, injury, chest pain, dizziness, heart condition, pregnancy or medication before you start
• Important safety noteYou may slow down, pause or stop the test at any time, for any reason
• RequiredNo caffeine in the 3 hours before — it changes your blood-pressure reading
• RequiredNo exercise in the 3 hours before, and no hard training for 24 hours
• RequiredNo alcohol for 24 hours
• RequiredNo hard or unfamiliar training in the 24–48 hours before the maximal test
• RequiredNo hard or unfamiliar training in the 24–48 hours before
• RequiredNo alcohol in the 24 hours before
• Strongly recommendedBring flat supportive shoes you can walk and balance in
• Strongly recommendedBring your glasses and your current medication list
• Strongly recommendedArrive 10 minutes early and sit quietly before we start
• Strongly recommendedBring both training kit and flat shoes — the session includes exercise and functional measurements
• Strongly recommendedNormal carbohydrate-based meal 2–3 hours before — do not arrive fasted
• Strongly recommendedArrive well hydrated
• Strongly recommendedNo caffeine, pre-workout or stimulants in the 3–4 hours before
• OptionalKeep the time of day, sleep and nutrition similar between repeat tests

Food

Eat normally — a light meal 2–3 hours before. Do not arrive fasted, and avoid a large meal in the hour before.

Hydration

Arrive normally hydrated.

Exercise

No hard, long or unfamiliar training for 24–48 hours before, and no exercise at all on the day before your appointment time. Fatigue lowers your peak values and reduces grip strength.

Caffeine / stimulants

No caffeine in the 3 hours before, as it raises blood pressure and would distort your reading. No nicotine for 30 minutes before.

Alcohol

No alcohol in the 24 hours before.

Medication

Take your prescribed medication as normal. Tell the test leader what you have taken and when, as some medication (for example beta-blockers, asthma inhalers, antihistamines) changes heart rate or breathing and must be recorded with your results. Do not change or stop medication for a test. Blood-pressure medication in particular must be recorded with your reading. Take your prescribed medication as normal. Tell the test leader what you have taken and when, as some medication (for example beta-blockers, asthma inhalers, antihistamines) changes heart rate or breathing and must be recorded with your results. Do not change or stop medication for a test.

Clothing

Comfortable clothes you can walk, balance and sit-to-stand in, and flat supportive shoes. Not sandals or heels. Cycling kit and cycling shoes. The lab is warm — dress as you would for a hard indoor session.

Arrival

Arrive 10 minutes early and sit quietly — blood pressure is measured after 5 minutes of seated rest, so rushing in changes the number. Arrive 10 minutes early so we can weigh you, fit the mask and heart-rate strap and go through the protocol with you calmly.

Other

Tell us about any injury, joint replacement, dizziness or balance difficulty before you start, so we can adapt or skip a measurement safely. A skipped measurement is recorded as not performed — never as zero. Cancellation and rescheduling: cancel free of charge with more than 72 hours' notice (full refund). Reschedule free of charge with more than 48 hours' notice. Inside 48 hours the appointment is treated as a late cancellation and the fee is not refundable, because the lab slot, technician and consumables are reserved for you. Repeat testing: try to match the time of day, sleep, nutrition, caffeine and training load of your previous test so the comparison is meaningful. Cancellation and rescheduling: cancel free of charge with more than 72 hours' notice (full refund). Reschedule free of charge with more than 48 hours' notice. Inside 48 hours the appointment is treated as a late cancellation and the fee is not refundable, because the lab slot, technician and consumables are reserved for you.

What to bring: Training kit and the running or cycling shoes you train in, plus comfortable clothing and flat supportive shoes for the functional measurements. Bring your glasses if you wear them, your medication list, a towel and a drinks bottle. Comfortable clothing you can move in, flat supportive shoes, your glasses if you wear them, and a list of your current medication. Ideally bring your own bike — we mount it on our calibrated direct-drive trainer so the results match the position you actually ride in. If you cannot transport your bike, we have a fully calibrated lab bike; in that case just bring your cycling shoes and pedals, and tell us your usual saddle height if you know it. Also bring cycling kit, a towel, a drinks bottle and your heart-rate monitor if you use one.