Physiological Profiling
What it is - and how it can make you faster.
How the science can help you…
VO₂ max, lactate, substrate utilization, economy…many of us have heard the terms (and even seen “VO₂” show up on our Garmins!), but what would it look like to genuinely test and model these aspects of your physiology, empowering you to more fully realize your athletic potential?
This is what many of the best athletes in the world are doing - and now you can do it too!
Through our partnership with Brit Cooper Performance, we're excited to bring advanced physiological testing to the M2M community and beyond! Coach Brit Cooper recently travelled to Park City, Utah, to train with Sebastian Weber, founder of INSCYD and former Tour de France head coach, and Parker Spencer, a US Olympic triathlon coach who works with some of the world's best long-course athletes, including Sam Long and Rudy Von Berg.
With in-store testing available through a partnership with Enroute's performance studio in Richmond, or field testing at the track and/or on your bike across Greater Vancouver, we're offering several tiers of testing. And you won't be on your own with the results! Coach Brit also offers an optional 45-60-minute post-testing coaching consultation to walk you through your individual results, what they mean, and how you can adjust your training (and race strategy!) accordingly.
VO₂ Max Testing
Put a number on the size of your aerobic engine! Measure your maximal aerobic capacity, establish a baseline of your current fitness, and track improvements over time. Available for a single sport or both bike and run.
Complete Physiological Profiling
Our most recommended package! Go beyond VO₂ max with blood lactate testing and INSCYD metabolic profiling to identify your physiological thresholds, personalized training zones, carbohydrate and fat utilization, economy, and much more. Available for one or both disciplines.
Annual Packages
Take the guesswork out of your season with repeated physiological testing at key training milestones. Track your progress, assess how your physiology is adapting, and make informed adjustments to your training and racing throughout the year. Single- and dual-sport packages available at a 15% annual discount.
Remote Testing
Don’t live in Vancouver? Complete our prescribed testing protocol wherever you train and send us your data for analysis using INSCYD software.
As for swimming? We're currently offering bike and run testing, with swim physiological profiling coming in 2027! Stay tuned.
Real-world examples of why this matters…
I was training for Ironman Arizona in 2021, chasing my Kona qualification (KQ), and feeling pretty *** confident after a 20-minute “FTP test” predicted I'd break the women's professional bike course record if I rode at my projected Ironman power.
Did I? Not even close.
Why? Because 20min power is actually pretty low on the list of factors that correlate with full-distance Ironman performance.
Had I had access to this type of physiological testing, I could have better tailored my training to the actual demands of Ironman racing, improving not just my bike performance, but the run that followed.
Example 1: “FTP” is not the best predictor of Ironman performance
Testing can help you understand the relationship between your swim, bike, and run, also known as interdisciplinary fatigue transfer. When you understand the metabolic cost of each, you can strategize your pacing better - and your training, targeting your limiters.
Case in Point 1: A short-course athlete used his bike physiology data to revise his cycling tactics, taking 38 seconds off his race-day 5km (14:34) while riding at the same average power (just reducing the metabolic cost of his ride). Full story here.
Case in Point 2: Sam Long finished sixth in Kona after just six weeks of testing-informed changes with Parker Spencer, riding personal-best Ironman power and still running a 2:42 marathon. Full story here.
Example 2: Interdisciplinary fatigue transfer and optimized strategy
…it’s not just hype.
If you're anything like me, you love checking out all the latest super shoes hitting the market (and may even have your own collection!).
But which shoe is actually fastest?
The answer is surprisingly individual. Different super shoes complement different running strides, meaning the fastest shoe for one athlete isn't necessarily the fastest for another.
Rather than guessing (or just picking the pair you like the looks of best - though that is also fair!), running economy testing can give you real data to help identify which shoes make you the most efficient, and ultimately the fastest.
Example 3: Economy - and picking the fastest super shoes!
Book your testing session, choosing between in-studio testing at Enroute or field testing.
Swim Profiling
Coming in 2027! We currently offer bike and run physiological profiling, with swim profiling planned for 2027. Stay tuned!
To optimally serve triathletes, we ideally want to test across all three disciplines, repeating assessments at key points throughout the season. Interested? Send us a message and we'll keep you posted when swim testing launches!
Why Swim Profiling?
One of the most interesting things to assess in the water is economy and efficiency. That is, how much are you limited by the size of your engine (your fitness in the water, or swim-specific VO₂ max) versus your technique (how efficiently you're translating that fitness into forward movement)? We can then track improvements in each separately throughout the season!
For triathletes, we also want to test across all three disciplines to better understand what's called interdisciplinary fatigue transfer. That is, how what you do in the swim impacts your bike, which in turn impacts your run. This can help inform key focus areas for training, alongside your best race strategy, keeping the full picture of swim-bike-run in mind.
