Follow-Up Guide: How to Execute a Submaximal Exercise Test?

An article written by Sophie Herzog, Øyvind Sandbakk, Trond Nystad and Rune Talsnes

If you've read our article on physiological testing in endurance sports, you know that testing isn’t necessarily about chasing numbers or proving fitness — it’s about gaining control and quality assurance of each individual training process. It’s your compass, your check-in, and your best ally for long-term development. Testing helps to identify what’s working, what needs adjustment, and whether you’re at risk of excessive fatigue and underperformance. If you're ready to put that knowledge into action, here's your practical starting point: a repeatable submaximal exercise test that helps you monitor training adaptations and guide your decision making. 

To ensure consistency and training continuity which arguably represents the most important training principle, optimal decision-making is essential. In practical terms, this means keeping control and minimizing the risk of mistakes. In our experience, the difference between the best athletes and those just behind them lies in the frequency and severity of mistakes made in the daily training process. By using (submaximal) tests to guide your training process, you create a foundation for steady and sustainable development.

Before the Test: Standardization Is Key

To get meaningful, comparable data, your test environment and preparation procedures must be consistent:

• Standardize your training 3 days before the test (no extreme fatigue or variation).

• Test at the same time of day every time (e.g., 9:00 AM).

• Standardize your nutritional intake before the test (same pre-meal, caffeine intake or other ergogenic aids, and timing).

• Perform a standardized protocol (running, cycling, roller-skiing, skiErg etc.)  starting with a 15-20 minutes easy (Zone 1) warm-up.

• Use the same protocol, settings and equipment each time you test.

• Check and calibrate all the equipment if possible (e.g., when running with incline, check the gradient of the treadmill using a digital level (inclinometer)).

• Prepare tools ahead of time:

• Lactate testing device (if applicable)

• Heart rate monitor (chest strap preferred)

• Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale (1-10 or Borg scale 6-20)

• Pen and paper for manual logging or our digital test sheet.

During the Test: Keep It Controlled

Submaximal exercise tests can be done using different modalities (e.g., running, cycling, roller-skiing, swimming) and protocols. Here we exemplify such a test by introducing a protocol that has been used on a regular basis for cross-country skiers and that can be executed as treadmill running. The protocol includes a relatively steep incline (10.5%) to reduce the influence of running technique, and ramps up the intensity through increasing speed while maintaining a constant incline. Note, that the starting speed may vary depending on training status.

• Treadmill settings: 10.5% incline, 5-minute stages, 1-minute rest between stages.

• Starting speed: Choose a speed where your blood lactate is ≤1 mmol/L.

• Stage increments: Increase speed by 0.9–1.0 km/h per stage (keep consistent across tests).

• At the end of each stage, record:

• Heart Rate

• RPE

• Blood Lactate (if possible)

• (Optional) Heart Rate after 1-minute recovery for heart rate recovery

After the Test: Log & Interpret Results

• Access our spreadsheet.

• Make a copy of the spreadsheet (so your data stays private). Feel free to adapt it so it suits your sport and training status.

• Enter all your data in our spreadsheet.

• Compare to previous tests. Simple rule of thumb:

• Better or consistent performance? Keep training as planned.

• Worse or unusual results? Take a step back and adjust your training accordingly.

• The interpretation of whether the test performance is consistent, better or worse might be difficult in connection with submaximal exercise test. Hereto, you can find more tips here.

• Overall, the key lies in integrating the response in heart rate, RPE and blood lactate (if possible) at the same speed. Typically, lower heart rate (and blood lactate) combined with lower RPE indicates improved fitness while lower heart rate (and blood lactate) combined with higher RPE might indicate excessive fatigue. Also, higher heart rate (and blood lactate) combined with higher RPE might indicate reduced fitness or states of stress and/or illness.

Frequency of Testing (optimally)

• Full lab testing (VO2max, thresholds, etc.): 2–3 times per year.

• Submaximal exercise test (e.g., this protocol): Monthly

• Standard training session on a known loop: Weekly

Choose Your Testing Tier

Depending on your level and access to equipment:

PRO Level:

• Full lab testing with advanced equipment and expert supervision.

• Submaximal tests with lactate, HR and RPE measurements.

• Standard training sessions on a known loop built into regular training blocks and integrated with daily load monitoring.

SEMI-PRO Level:

• Full lab testing 2-3 times per year if analysis and interpretation are provided.

• Submaximal tests as described with heart rate and RPE measurements (lactate optional).

• Standard training sessions on a known loop built into regular training blocks and integrated with daily load monitoring.

AMATEUR Level:

• Standard sessions on a known loop built into regular training blocks and integrated with daily load monitoring.

• Submaximal testing protocol – even with minimal equipment (e.g., only heart rate and RPE), but consistent execution.

Final Thoughts

Doing testing the right way is hard work — and that’s why many don’t do it. But if you want true insight into how your training is working (and how to improve), building a consistent testing practice is one of the smartest things you can do as an athlete or coach.

The Myra team is here to help you every step of the way. Questions? Feedback? Or want us to help with your analysis? Download your completed file as an Excel and email it to us at: info@myracad.com

Reach out anytime.