VO2max (and lactate threshold) testing: what is it and why get it?

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This week’s Jockology column in the Globe and Mail compares the benefits of VO2max and lactate threshold testing:

The question

What is VO2max and should I have mine tested?

The answer

VO2max is a term that surfaces whenever feats of great endurance are in the news, such as the gruelling Tour de France that wrapped up last weekend. It refers to “maximum oxygen uptake,” the amount of oxygen you’re able to deliver to your muscles when you’re exercising at your hardest.[read on…]

I’ve been tested a couple of times, once as part of an exercise physiology study and once purely for interest because a friend of mine, Dr. Gerald Zavorsky, offered to test me. But I’m not sure how many people take advantage of the commercial services offering testing. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who’s done it — why they did it, what they got out of it and so on.