What is VO2max? VO2max is the maximum amount of oxygen an athlete can absorb in a minute, relative to the athlete's body weight. This number limits how much energy an athlete can generate - and thus how fast the athlete can move. Professional cyclists are commonly in the 80ml/min/kg. The elite racers in Kona are around 75ml/min/kg. Competitive age groups typically reach a VO2max above 60 in Kona. Women are generally 10 points lower due to their smaller muscle mass - so a woman with a VO2max above 50 is considered very competitive. VO2max can be seen as an entrance ticket into different levels of performance. Within a group of athletes of similar VO2max levels however the race results are decided on the right balance of anaerobic capacity and most important movement economy (movement form). VO2max is the BEST predictor of human longevity. For those not seeking to compete in sports, knowing your VO2max can be very helpful to determine what level of activity is necessary that allows to remain independent from assisted living as we age.
What is Lactate? Lactate is a byproduct of anaerobic energy production in relatively active fast twitch (type 2) muscles. These muscles convert glucose into energy (ATP) + lactate. The lactate can be taken up by slow twitch (type 2) muscles for fuel.
What is Anaerobic Threshold (AT) / FTP? Slow twitch fibers take up and break down lactate to create energy (ATP). However, when an athlete moves at high intensities, the lactate production increases to a level where more lactate is being produced than taken up. The Anaerobic Threshold is the highest effort level that an athlete can perform at where lactate levels are still steady at a given effort, meaning lactate production and consumption are in balance. This speed is the fastest sustainable speed for long periods of time (e.g. 1h). In cycling this is called FTP (Functional Threshold Power). The lactate concentration at AT/FTP is typically around 4mmol/l.
What is Aerobic Threshold? Similar to AT, the Aerobic Threshold expressed a fixed lactate level. When an athlete moves very slowly, lactate levels are very low. As effort is being increased, lactate levels remain low until a point is reached where for the first time lactate is no longer being consumed in the local muscle but rather shuttled to other muscles and organs in the body via the blood. This first rise of lactate levels is called the Aerobic threshold. It is typically around 2mmol/l for athletes. Zone 2 training is performed just below this threshold level.
What is VLamax? VLamax represents the size of the anaerobic (glycolytic) engine similar to VO2max represents the size of the aerobic engine. VLamax expresses how much lactate a person can produce in a very short amount of time. Values range from 0.1mmol/l/s to 1.0mmol/l/s. Endurance athletes want to minimize VLamax to a level that is sufficient to meet their sport specific sprint and high effort requirements. A large VLamax is expressed in explosiveness and strength but it comes to the detriment of reduced AT. For relatively untrained athletes increasing VO2max is most important. For well trained athletes managing VLamax becomes very crucial for optimum race performance.
What is FatMax & CarbMax? FatMax is an intensity range where Fat metabolism is the highest. This is important for sports of very long duration (e.g. Marathon & ultra racing) where glycogen availability is limited. CarbMax is the highest possible speed where Carbohydrogen storages can still be replenished during racing as maximum uptake of carbohydrates during a race is limited. This matters to athletes doing 24+ hour type of racing, where winning depends on the best fueling strategy.
What are Training Zones? Training zones are used to establish target effort levels to trigger adaptations of specific metabolic parameters to particular stimuli. Training zones basically define the work intensity.
What is Interval and HIIT training? Interval training is a form of training where high intensity efforts are mixed with easy recovery. The reason is to stimulate the higher power fast twitch muscles as well as the aerobic system. By sprinkling recovery in-between hard efforts an athlete can spend more time at the higher intensities and thus increase training effect. The recovery time allows lactate to be broken down in order to avoid muscle acidosis (muscle becomes too acidic and can no longer fire). HIIT training stands for High Intensity Interval training and is great to make quick gains. It is of great use preparing the athlete for a racing peak, but needs to be used sparingly during the base-building season.
What's a good running cadence? Jack Daniels is a well-known running coach and established 180 spm (steps-per-minute) as the target rate. All his elite runners had a higher turnover rate than 180. link to Jack's article The truth is: while many runners would profit quicker turnover rate, 180spm is not always the best cadence. The actually “best” turn over rate “depends”; It depends on body size (leg length) and running speed. However, if you are injury prone and need to prevent injury, a higher cadence is better!! This is because the quicker your steps, the less impact from landing on each step. Slow running causes a 50% higher weight impact on bones and ligaments. Slow running impacts especially the hip and knees negatively. For the runner's ankles, there is an ideal speed, running faster or slower causes slightly more impact on them. One study found shin injuries are 6.7% more likely running at 164spm vs 174spm. With faster running speed you naturally increase your turnover rate as well. Taller runners generally have slower turnover rates than shorter runners at the same pace. website supporting these statements One study found trained runners naturally select a turn over rate between 158-179spm. However, their best performance (efficiency) was at 164.6-183.8spm. For inexperienced runners their selected turn over rate was 150-161.2spm. However, their best performance (efficiency) was at 159.8-179.8spm. link to reference these data
Famous runners leg speed:
Eliud Kipchoge: 190spm (marathon) [that’s 10% above the level expected for his height/weight]
Usain Bolt: 255spm (100m sprint)
Brigid Kosgei: 195spm (marathon)
Jakob Ingebrigtsen: 189-208spm (1500m in Paris)
Ciara Mageean: 184-204spm (1500m in Paris)
Men’s 10,000m in Paris Average: 185spm (ranging between 173 and 206 spm for top 8)
Women 10,000m in Paris Average: 185 spm (ranging from 173 to 192spm for top 8)
https://bigredrunning.com/2024/07/27/cadence-part-3-middle-distance/
https://bigredrunning.com/2024/08/24/cadence-part-4-long-distance/
What is RER Why do you measure CO2 during testing? When we are at rest our bodies burn predominately Fat. When we go at very high efforts, we burn exclusively carbs. An effort in-between these extremes utilizes a mix of fat and carb burning. Measuring CO2 together with Oxygen during a test allows us to determine the ratio of fat versus carb burning. That's important for a variety of reasons. For weight loss and to preserve muscle glycogen storage during a competition we want to maximize fat combustion. Fat metabolism is key for better recovery especially when we compete across multiple days or events, and to avoid type-2 diabetes as we age. CO2 analysis also provides inside at what intensity levels acidosis (highly anaerobic muscle contractions) occur.
Does breath rate and volume matter? Yes, absolutely. We find a significant difference in performance based on the athlete's breathing patterns. When we see an athlete breathing shallow or too quickly, their oxygen extraction and expelling CO2 is significantly reduced, causing a performance drop and forcing the athlete to slow down. Measuring the athlete's breath volume, rate, oxygen update, and CO2 exchange provides invaluable insight into the athletes energy exchange process and determine how to target optimization.
When I do near max efforts, I feel like I don't catch enough air. Why is that? When we exercise or compete at a near maximum effort, we recruit lots of muscle fibers simultaneously including our fast twitch type 2 fibers. This increases the amount of anaerobic metabolism creating both lactate and H+ hydrogen ions in our muscle cells. The lactate and H+ ions are pulled into our blood and the H+ is neutralized with bicarbonate that is stored in our blood. This neutralization creates H2O and CO2. The CO2 adds to the CO2 created from burning fuel. The extreme urge to breath comes from the increasing CO2 levels in our blood. That's why we hyperventilate at very high intensities and especially also immediately following a max effort during the recover period. The limited storage capacity of bicarbonate in the blood is also a reason why we cannot continue max efforts again and again even if our lactate levels returned back to normal. So yes, it is normal that you experience an urge to breath. For best recovery, focus on deep, controlled breath expanding both chest and belly.
