Field-Ready Physiology: How Exos HPL is Redefining Human Performance with VO2 Master

Written by: Gina Garcia, Sr. Research Specialist

In the world of elite sport, the margin between a podium finish and the middle of the pack is often measured in millimeters and milliseconds. For years, the gold standard for understanding an athlete’s engine – the VO2 max test – was confined to the sterile, controlled environment of a laboratory. While lab data is precise, it often lacks ecological validity. A runner doesn’t compete in a vacuum, and a cyclist doesn’t perform on a stationary rig in a 70-degree room with no wind resistance.

At the Exos Human Performance Lab (HPL), we believe that to truly understand human potential, we must measure it where it happens: on the field, on the track, and in the natural habitat of the performer. This vision led us to integrate the VO2 Master analyzer into our research and assessment protocols. By breaking the tether of the traditional metabolic cart, we’ve unlocked a new era of field-ready physiology that is transforming how we profile and understand the modern athlete.

The Vision: Moving Beyond the Lab

Exos HPL has been at the forefront of human performance research since 1999. Our mission is to bridge the gap between complex physiological data and actionable human performance insights. However, traditional metabolic testing presented a recurring challenge. To get lab-grade data, we typically had to sacrifice the specificity of the movement.

The introduction of the VO2 Master analyzer changed that equation. As a portable, face-worn metabolic analyzer, it allows us to conduct assessments during actual sport-specific movements. Whether it’s a walking assessment for a corporate wellness initiative or a maximal ramp test for an elite runner, the portability of the VO2 Master ensures that the data we collect reflects the actual physiological cost of the athlete’s environment.

Case Study 1: The Endurance Athlete Assessment

In 2022, the Exos HPL launched a comprehensive Endurance Athlete Assessment Pilot. The goal was simple but ambitious: create a “one-stop shop” for endurance athletes that integrated body composition, strength profiling, and metabolic efficiency.

We recruited a cohort of highly trained individuals – runners, triathletes, and cyclists – to undergo a battery of tests at our Phoenix facility. By using the VO2 Master analyzer, we were able to integrate metabolic testing seamlessly into a multi-faceted assessment day that included:

• Metabolic Profiling: Using the VO2 Master to identify ventilatory thresholds and peak oxygen consumption in a more dynamic setting.
• DEXA Scans: For precise body composition and bone density analysis.
• VALD Performance Measures: Using ForceDecks and NordBords to identify eccentric strength and potential asymmetries.

The Insight: One of the most valuable aspects of this study was the ability to triangulate data. We didn’t just see a VO2 max number; we saw how that number sat alongside the athlete’s power-to-weight ratio and their force production capabilities. This creates a comprehensive athlete profile that offers a level of depth that a standalone lab test simply cannot match. For the researchers involved, this meant seeing the “why” behind a performance profile. If an athlete has a high VO2 max but underlying strength asymmetries, the VO2 Master allows researchers to see that metabolic profile in the context of their actual movement patterns.

Case Study 2: The Women Performers Study

Our commitment to leading-edge research continued with the Women Performers Study, an eight-week intervention designed to evaluate how cycle-based programming can optimize female physiology.

This study was particularly impactful for both the participants and our research team. We tracked metrics across different phases of the menstrual cycle, using the VO2 Master to monitor physiological responses during various training phases.

The Strategic Advantage:

The portability of the VO2 Master was crucial here. We weren’t just testing these women once; we were looking for physiological shifts over time. The ease of use and quick setup of the device allowed us to perform repeated assessments without the logistical burden of a full lab setup.

The qualitative results were profound. Participants reported feeling “mind-blown” by the insights gained from seeing their physiological data in real-time. One athlete noted that understanding her metabolic shifts provided a completely new perspective on her intensive training weeks. By using the VO2 Master, we were able to observe measurable gains in aerobic capacity across the cohort, validating that personalized, data-driven insights are a necessity for optimizing performance in female athletes.

The Strategic Potential for Coaches and Scientists

For the sport scientist or high-performance coach, the VO2 Master represents more than just a piece of hardware; it’s a tool that can fundamentally shift how training is informed and validated.

1. Ecological Validity

Testing an athlete in their sport-specific environment (the track, the field, or even a specialized treadmill) leads to better buy-in. When an athlete sees data that reflects their actual training environment, the results feel more relevant and the resulting training adjustments more grounded in reality.

2. Integrated Data Ecosystem

At Exos, we aim for a future where metabolic data doesn’t live in a silo. By using portable tech, we can begin to correlate Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) with objective metabolic changes in the field. This helps calibrate an athlete’s internal compass, helping them understand what “Threshold” actually feels like during a real-world session, backed by objective evidence.

3. Efficiency and Protocol Versatility

Traditional metabolic carts require extensive calibration and a dedicated technician. The VO2 Master analyzer is designed for the modern practitioner. Its user-friendly interface and app-based data collection mean that research teams could spend less time troubleshooting equipment and more time interpreting what the data means for the athlete’s long-term development.

Identifying Thresholds: From Data to Future Action

The real value of this technology lies in its ability to inform future programming. By identifying Ventilatory Thresholds with precision in a field setting, coaches have the potential to prescribe hyper-personalized training zones that are far more accurate than those derived from simple heart-rate formulas.

In our endurance pilot, the vast majority of participants agreed that the assessment added significant value to their understanding of their training goals. They weren’t just walking away with a fitness score; they were walking away with a physiological blueprint.

What is the Exos Human Performance Lab?

More than a testing facility; the Exos HPL is an incubator for the next generation of performance insights. Our work with the VO2 Master analyzer is just one example of how we combine elite-level technology with rigorous research methodologies to push the boundaries of what is possible in human performance.

We work with innovative partners, technology providers, and organizations ready to validate their products or methodologies in a real-world, high-performance environment. Whether organizations are looking to run a pilot study, validate a new wearable, or deep-dive into a specific athlete population, our team of researchers and sport scientists is ready to help.

Learn more here: Exos Human Performance Lab

Learn more about VO2 Master