Due to its high level of accuracy, the VO2 Max test has long served as the gold standard for measuring cardiorespiratory fitness. That said, the test does have its limitations: Not only is its equipment expensive, but it requires a highly trained technician to operate it and interpret results. Additionally, the subject must wear a mask and exert maximal effort for the data to be accurate — a deterrent for those who aren’t capable of meeting those requirements. OVAL’s SMART Test provides clear solutions to these limitations.
The OVAL SMART Test offers an accurate, less expensive and more practical method of measuring cardio fitness, making precision fitness testing more accessible to broader populations.
The SMART Test is a graded, sub-maximal cardiometabolic fitness assessment conducted on an exercise bike that uses lactate as a biomarker, instead of gas exchange (measuring carbon dioxide and oxygen). Using a safety-spring lancet, lactate is sampled every three minutes from a single prick in the earlobe, with exercise intensity gradually ramping up on the bike until the subject’s first and second lactate thresholds have been observed.
Once all of the data has been collected, the MetFlex Index (MFI) is determined. MFI is a metabolic fitness score that represents the subject’s power output on the exercise bike at their 1st lactate threshold relative to their BMI and serves as an indirect observation of how well the body uses fat as a fuel source and how flexible it is at switching between fats and carbohydrates as physical demands (work intensity) increase. The data then immediately populates a user’s smartphone app with individualized movement programs that are specifically designed to improve their metabolic fitness, using AI guidance in real time.
There are a few key differences between VO2 Max testing and the OVAL SMART Test. For one, the OVAL SMART Test requires an exercise bike that measures watts at low power output (in watts), a tablet to load the testing software, and a lactate meter — all of which are far less expensive than a sophisticated metabolic cart that’s required for VO2 Max testing. It’s also far more comfortable to undergo than the VO2 Max, which requires a mask throughout the testing procedure.
Like VO2 Max testing, the OVAL SMART Test is a ramped test administered on an exercise bike, though it should be noted that the OVAL SMART Test only requires submaximal effort, making it far more accessible to the general population. Not everyone is capable of putting forth a true maximum effort, and it’s likely that many people only achieve “peak VO2,” rather than VO2 Max. This can have additional consequences when trying to create a custom exercise program for metabolic improvement.
Because the OVAL SMART Test observes lactate accumulation in real time, the data used to generate programming is extremely accurate. VO2 Max testing bypasses these thresholds en route to a maximum rate of oxygen consumption number, and any identification of thresholds for exercise programming purposes must be calculated backwards from that maximum with a significant margin of error (based on a %VO2max approach). This is another important distinction between VO2 Max and OVAL SMART Test: any movement programming derived from VO2 Max testing must be manually assembled from the test by an exercise physiologist. OVAL’s software platform populates the OVAL user app automatically with customized movement programs that provide the highest level of accuracy and appropriate exercise dosing. This means that someone using the OVAL app will achieve the maximum benefits of exercise with only the minimum necessary training. Because exercise, itself is a stress, this prevents overtraining and unnecessary wear and tear on the body.
Both VO2 Max and the OVAL SMART Test can be converted to METs (metabolic equivalents), which is what all the research in exercise physiology references when talking about health benefits. Lactate is a different biomarker than gas exchange, but because it can be converted to METs, the OVAL SMART Test can be used to make the same assertions about metabolic health.
While VO2 Max testing has been the gold standard for clinical research in exercise science, it has limitations that prevent it from being useful to the general population. Not only does OVAL solve for these testing limitations, it provides highly accurate and practical movement solutions in an application that is both adaptive and user-friendly.