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PhD-Led Performance Science · Dublin, Ireland

Know Your
True Limits

Elite Performance Testing & Analysis

Precision physiological profiling, expert analysis, and individually prescribed training programmes — grounded in your data, delivered by a Doctor of Exercise Physiology.

Book Your Assessment View Packages
PhDExercise Physiology
6+Test Modalities
100%Individualised Plans
1:1Expert Consultation

Inside the Lab

A look at what a real testing session at Rua Laboratories involves — the equipment, the process, and the data behind your programme.

Choose Your
Level of Insight

One health and longevity assessment, a four-tier athlete performance ladder, and specialist standalone testing. Every package includes a full sit-down consultation, an individualised training prescription, and a comprehensive written report.

Health & Longevity
Health & Longevity

Wellness
Assessment

VO₂ Max & Body Composition — built for health, wellness, and longevity. Not just race times.

180

~1.5 hours total  ·  7–12 min test  ·  Consultation & report included

A focused, science-backed assessment for anyone who wants to understand their cardiovascular fitness and body composition in the context of long-term health and quality of life — no athletic background required.

What's Included

  • VO₂ Max Testing (7–12 min)
  • Body Composition Analysis
  • Cardiovascular Fitness Scoring
  • Health & Longevity Benchmarking
  • Vitals Assessment (resting HR, blood pressure, SpO₂, hand grip strength)
  • Aerobic capacity vs age & sex norms
  • Body fat & lean mass breakdown
  • Full sit-down expert consultation
  • Personalised health recommendations
  • Exercise prescription for health
  • Full written report to keep

No athletic background required
Suitable for all fitness levels & ages

Athlete Performance

Four tiers, one progression. Every tier builds on the one below it — nothing is stripped out to push you upward. Tier I already delivers a complete endurance physiology assessment and the training plan that follows directly from it. Each step up adds a new domain of measurement: force and movement, then neuromuscular capacity, then the full cardiopulmonary and metabolic profile.

One System · Every Tier

All testing at Rua Laboratories is performed on our BTL cardiopulmonary exercise testing system — the same laboratory-grade instrumentation whether you book Tier I or Tier IV. What separates the tiers is the length and design of the protocol, the range of measurements taken alongside it, and the depth of the analysis you receive.

Tier I

Essential Athlete Assessment

Complete endurance physiology — and exactly how to train from it. Approx 2.5 hours.

250

Full consultation included

  • VO₂ Max Testing
  • Full Blood Lactate Profile (complete curve)
  • LT1 & LT2 Threshold Determination
  • Running / Cycling Economy
  • InBody Body Composition Analysis
  • Race Time Predictions — 5k to Marathon & Hyrox
  • Individualised heart rate zones
  • Pace & power targets per zone
  • VO₂max, threshold & Zone 2 prescription
  • Individual session creation
  • Integration into your training week
  • Full sit-down expert consultation
  • Full written report to keep

Tier III

Elite Performance Assessment

The complete athlete profile — aerobic, metabolic and neuromuscular. Approx 3.5 hours.

400

Full consultation included

  • Everything in Performance
  • Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull (IMTP)
  • Maximal Isometric Force
  • Rate of Force Development (RFD)
  • Full Neuromuscular Profile
  • Sport-specific force analysis
  • Complete race-day strategy — pacing, fuelling & execution
  • Integrated aerobic, metabolic & neuromuscular interpretation
  • Full seasonal training framework
  • Priority booking & follow-up review
  • Complete report — all testing domains

Tier IV

Ultimate CPET Assessment

Full cardiopulmonary, metabolic and performance profiling in a single session. Approx 4 hours.

525

Full consultation included

  • Everything in Elite
  • Extended Full CPET Protocol
  • Resting & Exercise 12-Lead ECG Monitoring
  • Spirometry — FVC, FEV₁, FEV₁/FVC
  • Resting & Exercise Blood Pressure
  • Full VCO₂, VE & Gas Exchange Reporting
  • FATmax & Maximal Fat Oxidation
  • Tidal volume, respiratory frequency & RER
  • O₂ pulse (VO₂/HR) & ventilatory equivalents
  • VE/VO₂, VE/VCO₂ & breathing reserve
  • Substrate utilisation & metabolic crossover
  • Fat & carbohydrate oxidation by intensity
  • Energy expenditure across the full intensity range
  • Threshold triangulation — lactate, gas exchange & ventilation

Compare the Four Tiers

Swipe to compare →
Essential€250 Performance€325 Elite€400 Ultimate CPET€525
Endurance Physiology
VO₂ max
Blood lactate profile
LT1 / LT2 thresholds
Running / cycling economy
InBody body composition
Training zones & sessions
Race time predictions
Force, Movement & Fuelling
Force plates / CMJ / RSI
Running gait analysis
Carbohydrate & fuelling analysis
Race pacing & execution strategy
Neuromuscular
IMTP / maximal force
Full neuromuscular profile
Seasonal training framework
Cardiopulmonary & Metabolic
Extended full CPET protocol
Spirometry (FVC, FEV₁)
Resting 12-lead ECG monitoring
Exercise 12-lead ECG monitoring
Exercise blood pressure
VCO₂ & gas exchange reporting
RER & substrate utilisation
FATmax & fat oxidation rates
Full ventilatory analysis

Why Ultimate Is Different

Same Laboratory. A Far Deeper Look.

Every assessment here is a cardiopulmonary exercise test. What changes as you move up the tiers is how much of that physiology we set out to capture — and how much of it ends up in your hands.

Tiers I to III answer performance questions: how much oxygen you can use, where your thresholds sit, how you produce force, and how you should train. Ultimate runs a longer protocol with extended submaximal stages, adds resting and exercise 12-lead ECG, spirometry and exercise blood pressure, and reports the complete ventilatory and substrate picture alongside it.

That means LT1 and LT2 stop being two isolated points on a curve. Your lactate response is read against your ventilatory behaviour, your gas exchange, your RER and your heart rate — and we can identify precisely where your body shifts from burning fat to burning carbohydrate. Independent measurement streams, triangulated into a single picture of how you produce energy.

Rua Laboratories provides exercise physiology and performance monitoring. Resting and exercise 12-lead ECG is recorded as part of performance assessment — this is not a diagnostic cardiac screening service and does not constitute medical clearance to exercise. Anyone with a known or suspected cardiac condition should consult their doctor before testing.

In Every Tier

Laboratory-grade cardiopulmonary exercise testing, blood lactate sampling, threshold determination, economy, body composition, and a training prescription built from your own numbers.

Tiers I – IV

What Ultimate Adds

An extended protocol with submaximal stages for substrate analysis, resting and exercise 12-lead ECG, spirometry, exercise blood pressure, and full reporting of ventilatory, gas exchange and fat oxidation data.

Tier IV — Ultimate CPET

Specialist
Hydration Science

Sweat Rate &
Sodium Analysis

Precision sweat testing — know exactly how much fluid and sodium you lose, and how to replace it.

230

~2 hours total  ·  1-hour treadmill protocol  ·  Report included

Sweat losses vary enormously between athletes — getting it wrong means cramping, underperformance, or dangerous dehydration. This test measures your individual sweat rate and sweat sodium concentration under controlled conditions, delivering a fully personalised hydration strategy for training and racing. Running gait and biomechanics are also assessed via slow-motion video during the protocol.

What's Included

  • Pre & Post Exercise Body Weight (sweat rate calculation)
  • Sweat Sodium Concentration (mg/L)
  • 1-Hour Controlled Treadmill Protocol
  • Heated & Dehumidified Lab Environment
  • Running Gait & Biomechanics Assessment
  • Slow-Motion Video Analysis of Running Form
  • Total fluid loss quantified
  • Personalised hourly sodium replacement targets
  • Hydration strategy for training & racing
  • Product guidance (electrolyte dosing)
  • Post-test expert consultation
  • Full written report to keep

Ideal for endurance athletes, heavy sweaters
& anyone who has cramped in competition

Included in Every Package

The Consultation Is Not Optional — It's the Point

Every package concludes with a dedicated one-to-one consultation where your results are interpreted in full, new individualised training sessions are created, and you leave with a plan — not just a PDF. Afterwards, refreshments are provided and you have full access to the recovery suite at Fianna Athletic Club — sauna and cold plunge — to finish the session properly.

Full Result InterpretationZone 2 Sessions Threshold SessionsHIIT Sessions Programme IntegrationCarbohydrate Targets Race PredictionsWritten Report Sample SessionsPhD-Level Analysis Sauna & Cold PlungeRefreshments

Two Steps to
Get Started

Fill in your details so we can prepare for your session, then pick a date and time that suits you directly from our live calendar.

1
Your Details

Details Received

We have your intake information. Now pick your date and time in Step 2 to complete your booking.

2
Pick Your Date & Time
Select your package tab above · All slots confirmed within 24 hours
VO₂max Maximal Aerobic Capacity

The gold standard of endurance potential

4mmol Lactate Threshold

Full lactate curve — not just a single point

RSI Reactive Strength Index

Force plate jump testing & power output

IMTP Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull

Maximal force & rate of force development

01

Where Data
Becomes Direction

The testing protocol is rigorous. But it's the consultation that transforms numbers into a training programme you can actually use.

"Every athlete leaves with a plan built entirely around their own physiology — not a template."
01

Full Result Walkthrough

Every data point is explained in plain language. Your VO₂ max, lactate curve, aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, and what they mean for your training and racing.

VO₂ MaxLactate ProfileThreshold Detection
02

Individualised Training Zones & Sessions

Your exact training zones — heart rate, pace, and power — are prescribed from the lab data. Sample Zone 2, threshold, and HIIT sessions are built for you, designed to fit inside your current programme.

Zone 2ThresholdHIITProgramme Integration
03

Fuelling Strategy

Carbohydrate targets for both training and racing, based on your tested metabolic crossover point — not generic guidelines.

Training CHO TargetsRace-Day Strategy
04

Neuromuscular & Structural Analysis

Jump power, reactive strength, isometric force, running economy, and body composition results interpreted together — giving a complete performance picture.

Jump PowerRSIIMTPBody CompositionRunning Economy
05

Full Written Report

You leave with a comprehensive written report: all results, all zones, all sample sessions, fuelling targets, and a clear rationale for every prescription.

Full ReportSession TemplatesLong-Term Reference

What Athletes
Say After

Real messages from athletes who have gone through the testing and consultation process at Rua Laboratories.

Thank you so much for the testing, had an absolute blast and was extremely insightful. One of the best things I've ever done. Thank you again for your hospitality and all the advice you have given me. Hope to see you in a few months.

R

Rua Laboratories Client

Post-Testing Feedback

Had my first interval run today post-Hyrox. The report had my 1k HIIT intervals at 4:40–4:55 with 1:1 rest. Genuinely one of the best runs I've had all year. I'm weirdly happy with how it went and how good it felt.

H

Hyrox Athlete

Post-Programme Training

Got the elusive sub-60 double time at Hyrox Dublin, holding a 4:10 average for the race. Your guidance during the VO₂ test and implementing the recommendations for thresholds and HIIT made a massive difference — allowing me to train smarter with the limited time I have.

D

Hyrox Dublin Competitor

Sub-60 Double Time · Hyrox Dublin

Dr Jack Eoin Rua O'Neill, Rua Laboratories
PhDExercise Physiology

The Scientist Behind the Lab

Why a PhD
Changes Everything

Rua Laboratories was built on one premise: that serious athletes deserve more than a generic fitness test. Every assessment at Rua is designed, administered, and interpreted by a Doctor of Exercise Physiology — someone whose entire career has been built around the science of human performance.

The difference isn't just credentials. It's the depth of interpretation. When you see your lactate curve, you're not looking at a raw number — you're getting a physiologist who understands the mechanisms, the training implications, and exactly how to exploit that data to make you faster, fitter, and more resilient.

Rua — the Irish word for red — is a nod to the science of effort: the red-line threshold, the burning of lactate, the colour of real work. This is testing for athletes who take their craft seriously.

Qualifications & Expertise

  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Exercise Physiology
  • Expert in exercise testing, prescription & performance analysis
  • Specialisation in endurance, strength, and metabolic testing protocols
  • Advanced competency in VO₂ max, lactate, and neuromuscular assessment
  • Research background in individualised training prescription
  • Based at Fianna Athletic Club, Booterstown, Co. Dublin

Fianna Athletic Club
Embark Green, Booterstown

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Testing Location

Address

Fianna Athletic Club

Embark Green, Booterstown, Co. Dublin

Testing Hours

By appointment only

Morning, afternoon & evening slots available

Booking

Online — pick your slot instantly

Calendly booking · Confirmed automatically

Facility

State-of-the-art testing suite

Force plates, metabolic cart, body composition analysis

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