Good protocols for treadmill VO2 max test on competitive runners?

Not a set protocol, but in grad school I was tested (with PRs just a bit faster than your, not a knock on you, just putting things in perspective) and we used a protocol in which I found a pace that I would be able to hold for 20 minutes. Every 3 minutes we bumped up incline a few degrees until I was maxed out at 11.5 mph and 7-8% grade (if I remember correctly).

Do not use the Bruce protocol because you'll get isolated leg fatigue before you tax the aerobic system.

Thanks for your reply. You are right about the Bruce protocol; that's actually the general population one to which I was referring, that didn't seem appropriate for me.

I just want to make sure I understand the protocol you are describing: you are saying I should guess the fastest pace I can sustain on the treadmill for 20 minutes (which for you was 11.5 mph or 5:13/mile pace; seems about right if your PRs were just slightly faster than mine). Then I should hold that pace and increase the incline every 3 minutes; figuring stage 1 would be 0%, stage 2 would be 3-4%, stage 3 would be 7-8%, etc. Is this all correct?

Thanks a lot for your help.

If you want data that can help you more in training. Go with the 3min protocal but ALWAYS increasing pace and not incline. Of course, you need a treadmill that goes fast enough, but it will give you way more relevant data that can be used in training and such.

Run on a level grade 5 minutes at each of the following speeds -- 270 m/min, 290m/min, 310m/min and 330m/min. I do 4 speeds with 20m/min increments, with the fastest speed to approximate your current 10k race pace -- 310 is about 5:12 per mile pace and 330 is about 4:52 pace. If you want to play it safe start at 250 instead of 270m/min Take 4 or 5 minutes between these runs. Get a VO2 during the final 1-2 minutes of each run, and heart rate the final 30 seconds of each run. These VO2 values will give you an idea of your running economy. Then after a 5 to 10 minute break, run your max test as follows -- 2 minutes at 330m/min on 0% grade and add 1% each minute thereafter until you feel you must terminate the test (it should be your call). The max test will probably last 5 to 8 minutes. For max, take the highest minute of your VO2 values (if getting readings every 20 seconds then use the 3 consecutive 20-second values that give the highest VO2 average for that minute). If you want a description of the test results, or other concerns, feel free to email jack.daniels@nau.edu

Very similar to the protocol used at the USOC with the paces based on current 10K time (a few stages slower to get a baseline) and then increasingly faster. The problems with increasing grade is that you lose the ability to find a velocity associated with a %VO2max or any sort of anaerobic/lactate threshold indication.

If you can, convince the prof to get blood lactate samples at the end of every stage.

listen to jtupper

and I wanted to add, the protocol that I used was good for getting me to VO2 max (or peak, depending on your terms), but it did not give me much information on running performance, economy, or lactate levels. I believe the original poster was looking for VO2 max tests.