We’re gearing up for the new season with a visit to the Human Powered Health Performance Lab in Wellesley, MA for key baseline tests and data collection.
The 2025 roster and management team underwent a weekend of testing, meeting with sponsors, and team building at one of four Human Powered Health’s state-of-the-art facilities.
The Human Powered Health Performance Lab is a core component of our holistic approach to health and human performance. These facilities give athletes valuable insight into their physiology and provide a path toward complete mind and body wellness.
At these labs, testing is conducted by Master’s & PhD-level performance physiologists. After testing, they help us understand results and tailor recommendations to each athlete’s unique needs. These data-driven insights, focused around our Pillars of Performance – movement, fuel, mindset and recovery – help us all reach our health and performance potential.
The data gathered from a multitude of tests will help coaches build a well-rounded view of the roster as humans as well as athletes.
“Gathering baseline measurements in the lab provides a data-driven lens for how each athlete should approach their offseason and ramp back into training at the appropriate time,” explains Therese Hammerschmith, Human Powered Health Performance Director. “This comprehensive data allows the coaches to be very strategic about how they will plan individual training, as well as team training camps, to set the athletes up for success not only for optimal performance but for their overall health and wellbeing.”
Human Powered Health’s relationship between its cycling team and performance labs is at the core of our shared goal to inspire and facilitate people to be their better selves.
“Having the athletes in the Wellesley lab last week was truly inspiring,” says Human Powered Health Chief Performance Officer Dan Cohen. “Their energy and curiosity brought fresh perspectives, and it’s exciting to think about how this connection between our team and the lab will evolve. We are looking forward to the future as we collaborate and innovate together, bridging athletic performance with scientific exploration in impactful ways.”
To learn more about the lab and schedule your own visit, choosing from a deep a-la-carte menu of services, visit humanpoweredhealth.com
The tests
Human Powered Health Performance Physiologist Lekshmi Kumar gives us a rundown of what tests the athletes underwent in Wellesley.
Resting Metabolic Rate: Calculates calories burned at rest and fuel mix (fat vs. carbs) to tailor nutrition plans that support optimal energy availability during rides.
Grip Strength: This test assesses forearm and hand strength, which is crucial for improving bike control, especially on long or technical rides. It also provides insights into overall strength, physical performance, and potential longevity.
Force Plate Analysis: Measures lower body power, symmetry, and landing forces to identify imbalances and optimize pedal stroke efficiency, strength, and injury prevention.
TrueStrength Analysis: Evaluates isometric force and explosive power in key muscle groups, enhancing stability, posture, and power transfer in cycling.
VO2max Test: This test measures maximum oxygen uptake and provides heart rate training zones, allowing cyclists to improve endurance training and gauge aerobic fitness specific to cycling.
Lactate Threshold Test: This test determines the lactate threshold by measuring blood lactate levels at various stages to fine-tune training intensities, establish power zones, and optimize endurance performance.
DXA Scan: Offers a detailed body composition breakdown, providing insights into lean mass and fat distribution to guide training and nutrition. Provides a comprehensive analysis of body composition, including lean mass, fat distribution, and bone mineral density, offering insights to guide training and nutrition. Understanding bone density is particularly valuable for cyclists at higher risk for low bone density due to the non-weight-bearing nature of cycling, helping to inform injury prevention strategies.
Bike Fit: Customizes bike setup to maximize comfort and aerodynamics while reducing injury risk through precise adjustments.
Watt-Bike: This test is a three-minute maximal sprint effort designed to measure peak power output, sustained power, and fatigue rate. This test offers insights into a cyclist’s anaerobic capacity, endurance at high intensities, and ability to maintain power over time. Analyzing these metrics helps identify strengths and areas for improvement in sprint performance, aiding in targeted training adjustments to enhance speed and power output.
Biodex Balance: A device that measures and records a person’s balance and can be used for balance training. It’s a multiaxial device with a circular platform that moves in multiple axes, and it’s used to evaluate a person’s ability to stabilize a joint under dynamic stress.
Functional Movement Screening: Used to assess an individual’s risk of injury or movement patterns that may limit performance.
