Athlete Testing
Athlete Testing
Whether you're a weekend warrior, competitive athlete, training for your next endurance event, or returning to sport after a health set back our Athlete Testing services are designed to help you train smarter, recover better, and perform at your best.
Led by Clinical Exercise Physiologists and Performance Specialists, our assessments provide evidence based insights into your physiology, movement, and fuelling strategies. All tailored to your unique needs and goals.
We are also uniquely positioned to safely support individuals who are pursuing performance goals while managing health conditions or recovering from injury. If this is you, we recommend starting with a Health & Cardiac Assessment. This allows us to understand your current state, clarify any risks, and build a plan that supports both your hauora/health and your performance journey.
VO₂max Testing
A 60-minute test measuring your maximal oxygen uptake. The gold standard for cardiovascular fitness and aerobic capacity. VO₂max testing provides essential data for setting and refining your heart rate or power based training zones, helping you build a strong endurance foundation.
Ideal at the start of a training block or as a general fitness assessment, this test gives insight into your current fitness level and ventilatory thresholds. Retesting every 3–4 months is recommended to ensure specificity and progression in your training.
A full report with results and individualised training recommendations is provided following the assessment.
Best suited for: endurance athletes wanting to develop aerobic performance and set accurate training intensities.
Duration: 60minutes
Investment: $210
Lactate Testing
Lactate testing involves incremental exercise test measuring blood lactate at increasing intensities to pinpoint your lactate threshold is the tipping point where fatigue begins to accumulate. This threshold is one of the strongest indicators of endurance performance and responds closely to the type and quality of your training.
By identifying this point, we can define your individual heart rate training zones to ensure every session is targeted and effective. You'll receive training zones with practical session examples to guide your programming.
This test is useful at any point but particularly in mid to late training phases to sharpen intensity, dial in tapering strategies, and support peak performance. Repeat testing can also help track your progress and training effectiveness over time.
A full report with results and tailored recommendations is provided after the session.
Best suited for: Athletes aiming to delay fatigue, refine pacing, and train smarter for competition or high-intensity efforts.
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Investment: $230
Combined VO₂max & Lactate Testing
A 90-minute dual assessment that delivers the most comprehensive profile of your aerobic and anaerobic systems. This test combines VO₂max measurement with lactate threshold testing to give precise insight into how your body performs, fuels, and fatigues under increasing workloads.
The test is conducted either simultaneously or in tandem, depending on your needs and fitness level. For the most accurate data, we recommend the tandem format where lactate threshold testing is performed first, followed by a VO₂max test to maximal exertion.
This protocol is physically demanding and recommended only for athletes with a solid training base and the ability to tolerate near maximal efforts.
You’ll receive detailed data to:
- Identify accurate training zones across heart rate, power, and pace
- Align internal and external load markers (VO₂ thresholds with lactate clearance)
- Guide your endurance and race specific training with precision
- Optimise performance during mid to late training phases or transition periods
Best suited for: endurance athletes seeking advanced insights to fine tune their performance and maximise training efficiency.
Duration: 90 minutes
Investment: $275
Metabolic (efficiency) Testing
Our Metabolic Test measures how your body utilises fat and carbohydrate while exercising at different intensities. This is especially valuable for athletes preparing for long endurance or multi-day events, where fuelling strategies are critical to performance and recovery.
This assessment helps identify your unique energy needs. The results can also be utilised in collaboration with our nutrition team to develop a personalised fuelling plan. Whether for racing, training blocks, or improving energy availability day to day.
Ideal for athletes wanting to optimise endurance, understand how their body responds to different intensities, and tailor their nutrition for performance and recovery.
Duration: 60 minutes
Investment: $210
Body Composition Assessment
Our Body Composition Assessment is ideal for monitoring body fat distribution and overall physique changes before and after a training block or intervention. With repeated measures over time, we can track progress towards your performance or health related goals.
This 20 minute assessment includes height, weight, skinfolds, girths, and bone breadths. You’ll receive a report interpreting your results in relation to your sport, training, or wellbeing goals. We recommend repeating this assessment at regular intervals to monitor change and guide your next steps.
Duration: 20 minutes | I nvestment: $65
Sports Nutrition Consultation
Our nutrition consultations are designed to help you fuel effectively, recover efficiently, and perform at your best, whatever your training level, life stage, or health status.
In a one-on-one session, our registered nutritionists will explore your current dietary patterns, fuelling strategies, and goals. We provide tailored, evidence-based support for both male and female, recognising that each individual’s nutritional needs are shaped by lifestyle, health status, training demands, and hormonal environment. Your consultation may also incorporate several measures that we will use to assess progress across your plan.
For wāhine, we offer specialist support across all phases of life. From the menstrual cycle to perimenopause and postmenopause. Helping to align nutrition with changing physiology.
You’ll receive a personalised report with practical recommendations to support your performance, wellbeing, and recovery. Where appropriate, this may include meal strategies, recovery support, and integration with our Fast Track Kai a Nuku nutrition programme.
For endurance and ultra-distance athletes, we offer optional metabolic testing, exercise based analysis to fine tune daily energy intake during an event and support sustained performance and recovery across long training days or multi-day events.
Nutrition consultations can be delivered remotely or in person.
Initial 45minute consultation: $180
Follow-up 30minute consultation: $120
Preparation Tips before your assessment
To ensure accurate, safe, and high-quality results:
1–3 Days Before:
- Avoid intense training for at least 24–48 hours prior to testing
- Maintain regular hydration and balanced nutrition
- Get good sleep the night before
Day of Testing:
- Have a light meal 2–3 hours beforehand (e.g., low-fibre carbs and a little protein)
- Avoid caffeine for 4 hours prior, unless part of your regular routine
- Avoid alcohol for 24 hours
- Wear comfortable exercise clothing and appropriate shoes
- Bring a water bottle, towel, and any sport nutrition you’d normally use
- If using a heart rate monitor or smartwatch, bring it along
- Take any regular medications as prescribed unless advised otherwise
Be prepared to exercise to maximal effort. Your test may include a high-intensity protocol.
Any concerns or queries, please do reach out via phone or email prior to your appointment.
testimonial
I came in feeling unsure about my health and left feeling empowered.” I’d been experiencing ongoing fatigue and stress, and wasn’t getting many answers elsewhere. The Health & Cardiac Assessment gave me clarity I didn’t even know I needed. The team was kind, professional, and took the time to explain everything in a way that made sense. I finally feel like I have a plan that fits me not just a generic fix.
Aroha M, Tauranga
