Exclusive Interview with High Performance Coach: Olav Aleksander Bu

VO2 Master removed the €20,000–€40,000 barrier of lab-based carts overnight. Its accessibility, portability, and real-world applicability let me launch Rua Laboratories without compromising data quality. Now every client, from recreational to elite, receives VO2 and ventilatory analysis as part of their performance profile. Quite simply, Rua Laboratories wouldn’t exist today without it. Thank you VO2 Master!

“VO2 Master allows me to test clients anywhere, bringing laboratory precision to real-world settings. It bridges the gap between science and everyday performance. In the Middle East, where lifestyle-related illnesses are growing, having accurate metabolic data is essential. VO2 Master makes that possible and empowers people to take measurable control of their health and longevity.”

The VO2 Master’s ease of use and portability make it invaluable in both lab and field settings. It enhances our research capabilities and student engagement by bringing charts and numbers to life in a hands-on, practical way. This technology allows us to seamlessly demonstrate how to measure one of the most important markers of fitness. It’s a vital tool in both our sports science research and our teaching of undergraduate, graduate, and medical students.

We find that the VO2 Master from a workflow perspective is a superior strategy. The portability aspect of it really doesn’t have a lot of comparisons. Between September and now [December], we’ve done about 150 studies. We’re pretty pleased with those results.

VO2 Master is changing the landscape of human performance testing globally.
The error margin overall was well below 2%. We saw a very well defined R-squared for the VO2 and also the VE, tidal volumes and frequency.

When my clients see the objective data around cardio from VO2 Master testing they are motivated to take it seriously.

Clients have reached out to me because I’ve talked about VO2 max testing and then by doing it and explaining their results and individualizing their training, of course there’s an interest in all the other pieces that fit into the fitness puzzle which is obviously great for business, and great for my sense of purpose as a coach to help people reach great results.

I have been using VO2 Master for almost 4 years now and have completed almost 1500 tests. The most important features for me were validity and applicability to real-world settings—whether that’s in the lab, on the field, or overseas. The analyzer is incredibly portable, comfortable for athletes, and fast to set up. I also rely on its seamless integration with technologies like Moxy, heart rate sensors, Core Temp, and power meters. This company is definitely bridging the science and practice gap with an elegant yet practical design and powerful data.

VO2 Master has positioned me as a thought leader in the space of metabolic fitness testing. The reliability of the device gives me confidence speaking to the data found in each test, allowing me to meet clients where they are and guide them toward their goals. In just two months, I’ve done 50 tests—and demand keeps growing. It’s also opened doors to collaborations with top brands and athletes, expanding my coaching business.

We’ve seen major improvements in both client results and business growth. Clients are hitting performance goals faster and with less confusion, and our testing services alone have increased monthly revenue significantly. VO2 Master checked all the boxes: portable, wireless, accurate, and super user-friendly. The ease of use and the quality of insights are unmatched. It’s one of the best investments I’ve made for my clients and the future growth of my business.

I was like nobody back then, and I believe many people thought the VO2 Master was just a cool accessory and not an advantage in training. VO2 Master is super useful, it’s like taking the lab out to the training field where I train day to day. Being in a lab is great but it’s not the environment where I perform and the VO2 Master allows me to get accurate measurements, out there wherever I train, to get the numbers I get.

The nature of our research with tactical personnel requires that we conduct most of our work in dynamic and often austere environments while these personnel are doing highly physical tasks. The VO2 Master has been a game changer. Being so small and portable we have been able to use it in a variety of projects, from mounted police on horseback to specialist police conducting occupationally specific capability testing.
Image credit: Arch Magazine, Bond University

I started using the VO2 Master Analyzer in 2017, to get a better understanding of what’s happening during test sessions and to dial-in my energy system for different training distances. I use the VO2 to learn how my engine is working and to identify weaknesses that need improvement. The simplicity and ease of use with the lightweight design will give more coaches and athletes the same benefits that I have had for years.

We chose the VO2 Master Analyzer after a thorough screening of the 6 leading metabolic analyzers available on the market. Based on the process that we went through we needed to find a great compromise between an accurate and reliable device that the athletes actually like to use and the VO2 Master Analyzer is the only metabolic analyzer that allows us to measure freely wherever we are with basically the same level of technology that are in the metabolic carts in the laboratory.

At TriTerra Lab, we use the VO2 Master Analyzer as a key tool in our research aimed at discovering new methods for enhancing physical high performance. This technology allows us to explore how different combinations of physical exercises, nutritional strategies, and recovery tools influence the body’s performance in a precise way.

The VO2 Master Analyzer enables our team to evaluate athletes on the water, which provides specific insight needed to really understand their physiology. We intend to use the information to help design individualized training programs.

Measuring Economy with VO2 Master enables me to select the fastest wetsuit for an athlete on an individual basis. My athletes can increase their swimming efficiency without increasing training volume.
Image credit: Triathlon Coach Switzerland

My Lab conducts physiological research in the field with firefighters and other tactical populations. The ability to accurately assess physiological responses of tactical operators in working conditions has been very challenging due to a lack of cost effective, validated device options. However, VO2Master has changed the game by providing practitioners and researchers with an invaluable, low profile tool to evaluate operator readiness.
Image credit: University of Kentucky