Get evidence-based tools to train effectively, hydrate properly, manage weight, track metrics for longevity, and/or perform your best with our VO2Max testing, sweat testing, lactate threshold testing, body composition testing and more.
No other facility in the area (or surrounding states) has our sweat testing technology!
Have you suffered from poor performance, or ended up in the medical tent or hospital from dehydration or hyponatremia?
Are you plagued with cramping, sloshy stomach, nausea, or diarrhea during workouts?
Are you constantly trying the latest sports drink or electrolyte solution to guess what best fits your needs?
Perform your best, eliminate GI distress, and reduce the risk of heat illness using our state-of-the-art technology!
In this completely painless process, you’ll be asked to do a 40-60 minute workout of your choice in order for us to collect enough sweat. We have a treadmill and a trainer (bring your own bike) at your disposal or your can workout outdoors at the intensity of your choice (unless combined with a VO2Max test in our Endurance Hydration & Performance Package).
If you prefer to do the sweat testing at home, purchase the Home Sweat Testing Kit below.
After emptying your bladder, you’ll wear a few simple bandages with gauze. At the end of your workout, we’ll remove the bandages and analyze your sweat.
No needles involved! In fact, sweat research suggests you must sweat in order to get the most accurate results. Don’t settle for anything less than the best!
If testing in person, you’ll immediately receive a comprehensive handout with your personalized sweat losses (from total fluid and sodium) and hydration recommendations, including a customized sports drink mix (we work with Infinit to create it), as well as any pre-made drinks or electrolytes on the market that best fit your needs and preferences.
More importantly, you’ll get a 30 minute hydration consultation with our Registered Dietitian and Hydration Specialist so you know how to best hydrate based on your goals. This is the best value for your testing!
We don’t just give you the sweat testing results and wish you good luck, but we interpret them for you and teach you how to use them. While some sweat testing protocols are tied to their own hydration products, we help you choose the right product(s) that work best for you, which may include real food, engineered products, DIY solutions and more. You are unique and your hydration plan should be too!
By adding our metabolic (VO2Max & lactate) testing, you’ll receive hydration and fueling recommendations by booking the Endurance Hydration & Performance Package.
1.5 hours
Personalized electrolyte blend tailored to your unique sweat profile for peak performance, performed, analyzed, and interpreted immediately at our office.
2 hours
The most comprehensive test for triathletes, cyclists, runners, Ironman athletes, and endurance competitors. Includes VO₂ Max, Lactate Threshold, Sweat Sodium Testing, Body Composition, and a Hydration Consult for your complete training, fueling, and hydration strategy.
30-60 minutes on your own + 30 minute consult
Test your sweat at home to unlock your ideal hydration strategy—easy, accurate, actionable.
1 hr 45 minutes
Includes VO2Max testing and sodium sweat testing + hydration consultation with our performance nutritionist.
Yes, simply contact us to learn more. Our team is available to come to you or get your testing kits no matter where you are in the country to provide comprehensive solutions so you can perform your best!
The results are provided within 24-72 business hours of testing via your portal and include:
(that don’t include sweat testing)
1.5 hours
2 hours
Our signature service for athletes who want accurate, personalized training zones to train smarter, avoid overtraining, and improve fitness.
1 hr 15 minutes
Stop guessing about how many calories or macronutrients you need to lose weight effectively!
With our state-of-the art metabolic cart, we can help you understand your calorie needs. Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) testing is offered as a quick, stand-alone service, or included in our signature Metabolic Health Package service.
This is a great way to monitor longevity metrics like VO2Max, grip strength, body composition, and waist to hip ratio too.
By measuring the amount of oxygen you consume with our metabolic cart, we’re able to quantify how effective your body is at burning total calories (walking, running or biking). Using this information, you’ll know your daily calorie needs (no more guessing!) and be able to develop realistic weight management goals.
RMR is the amount of energy necessary for your body to function at rest. With this painless test, you’ll learn how effectively your metabolism uses total energy (aka calories), carbohydrates and fat. Instead of trusting apps and general calculations, you’ll know exactly what your metabolism is doing.
This test takes 20-30 minutes wearing a mask in the resting position following a 7-8 hour fast without caffeine, nicotine or strenuous exercise. Immediately following the test, you’ll receive your results and discuss them with your exercise professional. To apply these results to your specific needs, a consultation with our nutritionist is advised.
Get the tools you need to help you in your health journey!
1 hr 45 minutes
1 hr 30 minutes
45 minutes
I’d like to do a bike test. Do I have to bring my own bike?
Yes, you’ll need to bring your own bike.
We use a wheel-off cycle ergometer to perform the testing on your own bike. In order to fit on our ergometer (indoor trainer), you’ll need to have an 11 or 12 speed cassette and have the appropriate tool to remove your rear wheel (if applicable).
We suggest using the bike that you’ll be training and/or racing on the most. So if you have a tri bike, and you’ll be racing on that bike, we suggest testing on that bike. If you are racing mountain bikes, use that one, and so on.
Which Test Should You Choose?
are training for triathlon / Ironman / marathon / cycling / ultra
need hydration + fueling + pacing + zones
want the FULL data profile
want accurate training zones
don’t need sweat sodium testing
want your most cost-effective performance test
want fueling + hydration guidance without lactate
want weight, metabolic, or longevity metrics
are active but not training for a major race
want focused data
need to retest a single metric
How do I prepare for a VO2Max, Sweat or RMR test?
There’s no need to “train” for your test.
For Resting Metabolic Rate and Metabolic Health Package (which includes RMR), be sure you are fasted for at least 8 hours. Water is acceptable.
For all other VO2Max and metabolic tests, please arrive well hydrated and fueled, but please do not overeat. Also, avoid intense exercise (don’t arrive sore!) 24-48 beforehand. We want you to have a good test with usable results.
For sweat testing, we need to have access to two locations on your body that will take non-latex adhesive (so you may have to shave) including your chest, upper back, lower back or thigh.
How quickly do I get my VO2 results?
We typically deliver your results directly to your portal while you’re in our office, so we can discuss them immediately (unless you have a separate hydration consultation). However, we may need additional time to work on the reports, in which case, they’ll be available to you within 72 business hours.
What do I need to bring to my VO2 or Sweat testing appointment?
This is all sent to you in your confirmation email, but you’ll need:
For all exercise tests, please bring a towel, water bottle, snacks (optional), change of clothes, toiletries (if you choose to shower in the locker rooms), and headphones for personal music, if desired. For resting metabolic rate tests (RMR), please bring warm clothes or a blanket (it’s usually about 68F in the testing area) and headphones to keep noise/distractions minimized.
If you are doing a bike test, you will need to bring your own bike. We use a wheel off Kickr for testing, so you’ll need an 11 or 12 speed bike. Contact us if you have a 8 or 10 speed older bike. If you have disc brakes, please bring the tool to remove your rear wheel. You’ll also want to have whatever gear you’ll need to ride (cycling shorts, sweat towel, cycling shoes, etc).
Can I workout before my VO2 test?
This is all sent to you in your confirmation email.
For best results, please refrain from intense exercise 24-48 hours before your test (so you are adequately rested and have a good quality test), avoid caffeine for 12-24 hours beforehand (although if you’re not doing RMR and you are a habitual caffeine user, then you may consume it), tobacco for 3-4 hours before (no exceptions), and food for 4 hours beforehand (this is to avoid vomiting in the mask, but if you typically eat something prior to intense exercise, then you may have food). Please be well-hydrated for your test.
What protocol do you use for VO2Max testing?
For RMR testing, we have 1 main protocol. Expect that you’ll be lying down quietly for at least 15-20 minutes, in a fasted state, breathing normally. That’s it.
For exercise testing, we adjust the protocol based on your current fitness level. We mostly do ramp-style testing, but can adjust based on your needs. We prefer to have about 5 stages in the testing protocol, but can have more. We typically like to see that you are reaching your threshold around the 5th stage (can vary between the 5-8th stage). We don’t want the test to last excessively long, since that will impact hydration/nutrition status. It’s important that you give us as much information in the pre-testing forms you’ll complete, so we can create the best protocol for your needs.
If you want us to use a certain protocol, like the Bruce protocol, then we can (but we rarely do). The protocol selection is intended to be as close to your specific goals/needs as possible, so the zones apply to your sport.
Will I get a confirmation email and reminder texts and emails for my VO2 testing?
Yes, upon booking, you’ll immediately receive a confirmation email with additional details about the test. If you don’t receive this email, *check your spam.* Also, we send you an e-mail reminder 2 days ahead of time and a text reminder 1 day ahead of time to confirm your appointment. Please make every effort to arrive at your appointment on time, wearing proper attire.
Do you have showers available?
Yes, there are shower facilities on site that you are welcome to use after your test. You will need to bring your own towel and toiletries.
Where is your exercise physiology lab located?
We are located inside the Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC) at 275 Convention Dr Cary, NC 27511, located off I-40 near eastern border of Cary, close to Raleigh. Within the facility, we are located in a 5000 square foot gym, where we have our treadmill and bike ergometer.
I’m a volleyball/soccer/tennis/spartan athlete. Can I do VO2 testing?
Certainly! However, VO2Max testing is the most applicable in your sport. If you don’t run, hike, or cycle, then we can do onsite testing with the mask. Contact us for more information.
For sweat testing, we will often do treadmill testing in whatever way is applicable to your sport, which is often sprint intervals. However, you may be best served by doing the Home Sweat testing kit, where you can actually do your actual sport and get the most relevant data for you.
Will I get a confirmation email and reminder texts and emails for my VO2 testing?
Yes, upon booking, you’ll immediately receive a confirmation email with additional details about the test. If you don’t receive this email, *check your spam.* Also, we send you an e-mail reminder 2 days ahead of time and a text reminder 1 day ahead of time to confirm your appointment. Please make every effort to arrive at your appointment on time, wearing proper attire.
I’m a triathlete/runner/cyclist/mountaineer. Can I do this testing?
YES. This testing is specifically designed to create zones that directly apply to your sport.
I’m a swimmer. Can I do VO2 testing?
It depends on your goals. We CAN do lactate testing poolside, which will help determine your paces.
If you need your RMR done in order to determine your energy needs for rest and for sport, then yes, you can do that. But the exercise testing does not apply well on a treadmill or cycle ergometer to swimming.
What if I need to reschedule my VO2Max testing?
No problem! Just head to the portal here and go to “Bookings” and click on Reschedule. There is no fee to reschedule if you do so via the portal at least 24 hours before your testing appointment. However, if you need to cancel an appointment for any reason, WITHIN 24 hours prior to your appointment, you will be charged a $35.00 cancellation fee.
What locations do you serve for sweat, metabolic and VO2Max testing?
Our exercise physiology lab is located inside the Triangle Aquatic Center at 275 Convention Dr Cary, NC 27511. However, we have served people from Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Durham, Chapel-Hill, Charlotte, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, Fayetteville, Wake Forest, Hillsborough, Pittsboro, and Winston-Salem. We’ve also served people flying in from out of state. We are conveniently located close the the RDU airport (about 15 minutes away).
We are also mobile! We can come to you and your team/club, so long as it’s within a 3 hour radius of our main office in Cary, NC. We can provide team sweat testing and metabolic testing for land-based sports like crossfit, cross country running, track, soccer, and more. Contact us to get a quote.
I’m not a runner (or I cannot run). Can I do this test?
Absolutely. You can either do an incline walking test, cycle (or bike) test on your own bike, or row erg.
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