New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Cardiovascular Lab now offers performance testing for athletes.

VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is tested to determine an athlete’s ability to sustain intense exercise and is linked to aerobic endurance. VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that the athlete can utilize during exercise.

“VO2 testing is a great tool for competitive athletes or those who regularly perform sustained exercise,” Barry Blackburn, an exercise psychologist with the hospital’s cardiac rehabilitation unit, said in a prepared statement.

“The athlete performs a series of intense exercise on either a treadmill or a stationary bike and we are able to determine that person’s oxygen consumption,” Blackburn said. “This is considered to be one of the best ways to find an athlete’s cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance.”

VO2 max tasting at New Hanover Regional Medical Center is supervised by board-certified cardiologists. Once testing is complete, a doctor will review results with the athlete and suggest target heart rate zones and other information that will help improve performance in competitions, hospital officials said.