Vires Velo set to open new Physiology Studio in Norfolk

Vires Velo has announced the opening of its Physiology Studio, a new facility for in-depth physiological assessments.

The new studio will give consumers access to a suite of research-grade equipment under the control of a Sports Scientist. The Physiology Studio is primarily aimed at cyclists, but can also be of value to anyone who wants to better understand their own physiology and how to exercise and train effectively.

We believe that everybody, no matter their level, can benefit from an informed approach to training and exercise. We will welcome professional and semi-professional athletes, committed amateurs and complete beginners to visit and use the studio. An individual’s goals determine the output and the assessment protocols that are used.

The experience is offered from the Vires Velo Experience Centre in Norfolk in a private studio space, designed to “break the mould” of traditional lab environments. Vires Velo’s Sports Scientist has a tool kit of advanced medical-grade equipment to conduct assessments and generate actionable reports and takeaways. These include a Spiroergometry system for cardiopulmonary exercise testing, EMG Muscle Activation system, 3 Channel ECG, Bio Electrical Impedance system for body composition, Wattbike Atom X and medical-grade equipment for taking basic resting measures and body measurements.

This latest investment follows the opening of a new idmatch bike fitting system earlier this year. Physiology Studio complements and completes the offering from Vires Velo, said the company, which now includes bike fitting and a Factor Bikes showroom and test centre.

Physiology Studio launches with three packages to cater for a wide range of customers. Baseline is the entry-level package which gives customers a better understanding of their personal physiology and resting metabolic rates. They will gain an understanding of the optimal exercise intensity for using fat as fuel and the areas of their physiology they should target to achieve their training/fitness goals. Performance is for the committed amateur or racer who will learn everything above but also a deep understanding of training zones based on their own physiology and maximal oxygen uptake (otherwise known as VO2max).

A complete Vires Velo Experience Package can also be booked which includes a day at the Experience Centre with a bike fit, physiology testing and the opportunity to test ride a World Tour level Factor race bike. The focus on all of the packages is the outputs and giving customers actionable insight through one-to-one interactions before and after the sessions.

Managing director John Bailey said: “Following my body of work with the original Factor 001 which started to look at the acquisition of human physiological data, I decided that now is the right time to launch this service. We have learned from our own customers over the last 3 years and identified a real appetite for understanding one’s own physiology and biomechanics.

“As a business, we only work with the very best, including Factor/Black Inc. Our philosophy is that we are providing customers with the most technically advanced and performance-focused bikes, now we can dive deep into their fit and lift up the bonnet on the engine to look for improvements.”

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Hayden Daniells, sports scientist, said: “Using data and technology usually only accessible to those in the know, we are able to offer a unique experience for cyclists in the UK. We will help people to cut through the numbers and pull out the most useful information to make the best use of their time on the bike.

“We are all busy and time is precious, but with an investment to understand our own physiology, we can make informed decisions on the type of exercise to do and the amount of training required to reach individual goals. That could be riding a 100-mile sportive, winning a race or just being able to keep up with your friends. Or realistically, it could just be about getting fitter or getting in better shape.”

The Physiology Studio opens in May and can be booked online now. Packages start from £240.