This quick look at assessments is on aerobic fitness.  This is the ability of the body to process oxygen and perform physical actions.

The classic assessment is the Multistage Fitness test…or the bleep test.  Chances are you did this in school (and probably hated it!).

What is the Bleep test?

Bleep Test

• This is a maximal effort test.  In other words, you have to work as hard as you can until you can not work any more.  For this reason, it is not ideally suitable for absolute beginners or those with injuries/conditions that may be aggravated by this.
• An assessment for aerobic fitness.
• Gives an estimate of VO2max (the maximum amount of oxygen the body can process).
• A simple, cheap, repeatable assessment requiring minimal equipment.
• Suitable for individuals and large groups.
• There are 2 versions of the bleep test.  One is the 20 meter version, while the other is the 15 meter version.  Make sure you know which one you are doing and have the appropriate equipment and results tables!
• From now on, I will be talking about the 20 meter test…because that is the one I have experience with.

How to do the Bleep test?

Equipment needed:

• Flat, non-slip running surface of 25 meters or more.
• Suitable footwear
• Audio copy of the bleep test (click here to download our FREE mp3 copy).
• mp3/CD player to play the audio test on.
• 2 markers (a couple of cones, or old jumpers will do).
• 20 meter tape measure.

Preparation:

• Measure out a 20 meter distance on the floor and mark each end with your markers.
• Conduct a full and appropriate warm up.
• Stand at one marker.

The test itself:

• Press play and start the bleep test recording.
• Run back and forth from one marker to the other in time with the bleeps.
• Continue shuttle running back and forth from one marker to the other, in time with the bleeps, until you miss 3 consecutive bleeps.
• Make a note of the last successful level you completed.  This is your score.
• Conduct a full cool down and relax.

The details to remember:

• Start running from the markers at each bleep.
• Don’t get ahead of the bleeps and “bank” some for later.
• This is a continuous test.  You can’t miss a bleep or 2 and then carry on.
• You finish the test when you miss 3 bleeps in a row.  So if you only miss 1 or 2 then catch up…well done!  Carry on going until you miss 3 consecutive bleeps.
• Don’t cut the runs short by turning early.  Make sure your foot goes past the marker before you turn for the run back.
• Your score is the last level you successfully completed.  So if you pass level 10.1, but miss level 10.2, 10.3 and 10.4…your score is 10.1, not 10.4.
• This test is suitable for most people, except those with injuries/conditions that may be aggravated by maximum effort running.
• Runners, or people with experience with running will do better at this assessment than equally fit people without running experience.

Results.

You can use the table below to estimate your VO2max (maximum amount of oxygen your body can process).  Use the table below that to see if you are above or below average.

Estimate of VO2max from bleep test results.

Table indicating if your bleep test results are good or bad.

By Herman Garcia 

Any way you look at it, our muscles need energy when working. So whether you’re a runner, swimmer, skier, or cyclist, as an endurance athlete you need to maximize not only your VO₂ max, but also your lactate threshold as well. 

As a reminder, VO₂ max is the maximum amount of oxygen in milliliters one can use in one minute per kilogram of body weight (ml – kg^-1 – min^-1) during exercise.  As we read last week, most of our VO₂ max is genetically determined, so our goal is to reach our upper genetic limit for aerobic power through proper training. 

If VO₂ is looked as the upper limit for aerobic exercise, the lactate threshold (LT) determines how much of that aerobic upper limit can be used. In other words, as the exertion level increases, the body reaches a point at which the oxygen system cannot pickup the demand. It’s at this point when the anaerobic or lactate system (without oxygen) begins to produce lactic acid.

(Lactate is a naturally occurring organic compound produced in everyone’s body and is both a by-product of, and a fuel, for exercise. It is found in the muscles, the blood, and various organs. Your body needs it to function properly. ⁽³⁾ 

At this crucial point the demand for energy overstresses the second phase of the oxygen system, making it unable to neutralize the lactic acid formed in the first phase, and the accumulation of lactic acid increases in the working muscles—in essence bringing the athlete to a screeching halt ⁽³⁾. Bottom line—your body has accumulated more lactate than it can remove, thereby causing lots of discomfort, which in turn causes you to ease up or shut down. 

It’s Importance

Today’s research validates that it is the single best indicator of endurance performance known. Why? Because the person or athlete with the maximal lactate steady state at the higher effort level (speed of power) is not only going to preserve,  but will finish in the top 10 percent.⁽³⁾ And unlike your VO_2, which for the most part is genetically set, your lactate threshold is not, and can be substantially increased with the proper training. 

Inexpensive Way to Measure Lactate Threshold?

Blood sampling is probably the most accurate way to measure a lactate threshold, but requires additional people, labs, and big bucks. An Italian physiology professor by the name of Francesco Conconi developed a noninvasive method of determining the deflection point without measuring lactate and thus without taking blood samples. Now the deflection point is simply the heart rate above which lactate accumulation will increase.⁽³⁾  

Practical Testing Application⁽³⁾

You will need to find a decent 400 meter track where the participant will start with a 15 to 20 minute warm-up. The beginning pace is slow and of course depends on the condition of the participant. An untrained person should run the first 200 meters in about 70 seconds, while well-trained participants in about 60 seconds. 

After every 200 meters, the pace is accelerated, so that every consecutive, two-hundred meters is run about 2 seconds faster. At the end of every 200 meters, the HR and pace are recorded (see chart A).

The key is for the participant to increase the pace after every 200 meters and keep the new pace constant. The test concludes when the participant cannot accelerate any more (see chart B). 

On chart C, the diagram depicts that the test begins with both the participant and a helper, point 1. However, the participant will register his/her own HR and accelerate immediately for the next 200 meters. As the participant returns to point 1, he or she checks their HR and shouts to the helper what the previous and current HR were. The number of actual recordings should be about 12 to 16. Total running time will be between 10 and 12 minutes with a total distance between 2,400 and 3,200 meters. 

Chart D shows the pace in kilometers per hour. For example, if the 200-meter lap time is 50 seconds, the pace is 14.4 kilometers per hour.  The minutes per kilometer bar on the right side of Chart D gives the time per kilometer that corresponds to that pace. The participant or personal trainer should plot the data on 1-millimeter graph paper, where the vertical or y-axis represents the HR and the horizontal or x-axis represents pace in kilometers per hour as shown in chart E. HR values are plotted with the running pace. 

When all the dots are put in place, the curve is drawn. The bend in the curve, which corresponds to Dp, is usually around a HR of 220 minus age. After drawing this curve, the athlete knows what pace or HR corresponds to the lactate threshold. Thus, Conconi’s test provides information about the condition of the participant.

Training advice may be based on the tests, and the impact of a training period can be established. 

Final Thoughts

• Lactate threshold is the most important determinant of success in endurance-related activities and events, and the main goal of endurance training programs should be the improvement.
• Factors such as training status, age, gender, body mass, goals, and training time availability will all help determine the actual training intensities and volumes the athlete is capable of achieving. 

References:

1. Anderson, G.S., & Rhodes, E.C. 1989. A review of blood lactate and ventilatory methods of detecting transition threshold. Sports Medicine, 8 (1), 43-55.

2. Bassett, D.R., Jr., & Howley, E.T. 2000. Limiting factors for maximum oxygen uptake and determinants of endurance performance. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, 32 (1), 70-84.

3. Janssen, Peter G. J. M., 2001. Lactate Threshold Training, Human Kinetics. Pages 66-105

4. Foran, B. (edited by). 2001. High-Performance Sports Conditioning, Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 

5. Robergs, R. A., Ghiasvand, F., Parker, D. (2004). Biochemsitry of exercise-induced metabolic acidosis. American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 287: R502-R516.

By Herman Garcia 

As a long distance runner, I’m always looking for ways to improve my run time and run longer. I know I’m not alone, as during competition, most of the participants are giving it their best and then some.  Some finish in the top 10%, while others breakdown (hit the wall) somewhere around the 20^th and 22^nd mile. 

So whether you’re an amateur athlete trying to increase your endurance or just someone trying to reduce your run time, then without a doubt– understanding your individual VO₂max and your lactate threshold is a must. This week’s article will be dedicated to VO₂max (good indicator of aerobic fitness) and next week I’ll write about lactate threshold (considered by many to be the best indicator of endurance fitness). 

VO₂max is the maximum amount of oxygen in milliliters, one can use in one minute per kilogram of body weight (ml – kg^-1 – min^-1).  In laymen’s terms, it’s the volume of oxygen your working muscle is getting during exercise.  Those who are fit have higher VO₂max values (about 60 ml for men and 50 for women) and can exercise more intensely and for longer periods than those who are not as well conditioned. A normal man is usually at around 45 ml while a female is about 35 ml. 

Most people are familiar with Lance Armstrong and how strong he is on those steep hills. What the ordinary person doesn’t know is that Lance is gifted with a naturally high VO₂max—which for the most part is genetically set. So with Lance we witness an explosion. An explosion that is possible because his muscle tissue is being fed a large dosage of oxygen.  And this is also why you hear about a lot of cheaters using blood doping to increase the oxygen to their muscle tissue. 

VO2max is fairly easy to measure as it is the point at which oxygen consumption plateaus. This defines the VO₂max or an individual’s maximal aerobic capacity. In today’s world, it is generally considered the best indicator of cardio-respiratory endurance and aerobic fitness. 

Although VO2max is genetically set, over the years numerous studies have shown that you can increase your VO₂max by working out at an intensity that raises your heart rate between 65 and 85 percent of its maximum for at least 20 minutes three to five times a week. However, before we get there, we need to establish a baseline. That is, what is your current VO₂max. Without that, you cannot apply your aspirations and/or goals. 

Over the years several field tests have been developed. One is running a mile and a half at a very strong pace, the other is walking a mile at a very strong pace. Several factors are taken into consideration, such as age, gender, etc.  This field test is not exact, but gets you in the ball park. For a very accurate reading you must get tested with professionals at a University. Having experienced it first hand—it’s tough. In a nut shell, you’re hooked up to numerous wires, and a breathing apparatus is hooked to your mouth while you run on a treadmill. Every minute the incline and speed is increased until you basically hit the wall.

Step number two is to figure out your training level for your age. 

Training Heart Rate Formula:
Subtract your age from 220:                        220 – 40 = 180 beats per minute (bpm)
Multiply 65% times 180:                                 180 X .65 = 117 bpm (minimum)
Multiply 85% times 180:                                 180 X .85 = 153 bpm (maximum)
Ideally, you want to operate between the two: about 136 bpm 

Step number three, find an aerobic exercise that you enjoy. If you try to force yourself into running and you hate running—you’ll never progress.  An aerobic activity is an event that keeps your heart steady for over 3 minutes. 

Unless you’re very self-disciplined, generally it’s best to choose a classroom environment since that’s a place you will be pushed to the optimal training range. You will want to implement this training mode about 2-3 times per week. 

Believe me, it works. In the military our commanding officer implemented a routine for reducing our 2-mile time.  At the end of 3 months, everyone in our platoon dropped their time by 3-4 minutes. 

So there you go—the importance of your VO₂max and how to improve it.  For those of you wanting to know your existing VO₂max–don’t hesitate to contact me for a field test. As mentioned earlier, this will require that you run a mile and a half at a strong pace.  Remember, the result is only a baseline—not an indicator of how good or how bad you are.  Without a baseline one cannot apply their aspirations/goals. 

Aerobic fitness can be measured by the volume of oxygen you can consume while exercising at your maximum capacity. 

Have a terrific and healthy week,
Herman

The term “endurance” may mean different things to different people. But for fitness fanatics, enthusiasts and gym rats, endurance has a great deal of significance, both in a physical and a psychological sense.

Strength and endurance, when it comes to physical activity, do not mean the same thing – but there is some crossover. Think of the difference as a sprinter vs. a marathoner. Endurance is not all about speed as you probably know. No sprinter could run at their fastest pace for anywhere near a marathon distance. And, a long distance marathon runner would probably get smoked racing against someone who trains for sprinting.

If you take my Spinning or Revving classes you know that Fall is the season where we focus on Endurance Training. We don’t do too many sprints and the ones we do are short (be sure to show up for some Fartlek training – don’t worry, you’ll like it….I’ll explain more about that later). If you are training with me this season, we are focusing on keeping our pace steady and our heart rate consistent. Good idea for you to break out those heart rate monitors and try to keep your heart rate in the range of 75 – 85% of your max heart rate.

The basic formula is 220 minus your age multiplied by .75 and .85. The range in between is a good goal. For women, take 226 minus your age and continue with the equation.

If you know your resting heart rate (RHR), you can do the Karvonen formula (which is a bit more precise): Take 220 minus your age, minus your RHR, multiply by .75 and .85 then add your RHR back in.
Being able to keep our heart rates at the higher end of the spectrum without going totally anaerobic, the more we improve our Cardiovascular Endurance.
“Muscular Endurance” is our ability to cope with fatigue and tolerate high levels of lactic acid. As our muscular endurance improves, the longer we can maintain proper form and pedal at higher speeds with more resistance!

So, what will we be doing in our Spinning and Revving classes to improve our endurance? We won’t be using extremely high resistance because will make us so fatigued that we’ll need to recover (lowering or taking off resistance and reducing our heart rate). The better our endurance, the less we’ll need to recover obviously! Fatigue, incidentally, is not something we just feel in our muscles… it’s also psychological… “how much longer will this last? I don’t know if I can go on! I can’t hold on much longer!” Does this sound familiar in your head?

Here are some benefits of improved cardiovascular and muscular endurance: the body becomes better able to produce ATP (the energy your muscles need to contract) via aerobic metabolism. The body’s ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles improves and the body’s ability to use that oxygen improves. You may have heard the term VO2Max? That is a key factor to your fitness level. The more energy your body can produce aerobically vs. anaerobically, the easier it is for your body to access fat as fuel and lessens the amount of lactic acid disturbance you feel when working out (that’s muscle burn folks!).

Back to VO2 Max for a second. VO2 max is basically your aerobic capacity and is considered the best measure of a person’s cardiovascular fitness and maximal aerobic power. Spoiler alert ladies: VO2max values are typically 40-60% higher in men than in women.

Elite endurance athletes typically have a high VO2 max and for the most part it seems to be genetically determined. However, with proper training, VO2 max can be improved by as much as 20%!

The goal of any endurance training program is to help the athlete reach their genetic upper limit for aerobic power

As you may have guessed, endurance training is important for many sports – not just the pure distance events like running, swimming and cycling for example. Even some traditional strength and power based activities are helped by having a solid aerobic base.
Happy Endurance Season everybody!

Technique Tidbit:
You’ve heard me talk about “efficiency” and “exercise economy” by now. Here’s what I mean, two athletes may have the same VO2 max and the same lactate threshold (the point during exercise where the body is accumulating blood lactate faster than it can be cleared out). Yet what is far more important is the speed or workload at which the person is exercising when they reach these points. Someone with a higher exercise economy will use expend less energy (consume less oxygen) at any given intensity. Therefore researchers believe economy of exercise – be it stride length, swimming technique or body position on a bicycle – is an important contributor to endurance performance!

Recent Studies has shown that Low Intensity Exercises which delivers VO2 max at 50% is more beneficial for fat loss program than High Intensity exercises which deliver VO2 Max at 80%-120%.

Low Intensity Excersies include walking, aerobics, weight training with more reps.

High Intensity Excerises include  running and cycling .

The Reason:

Increased Vo2 max causes increased carbohydrate breakdown for energy production but does not cause fat burning. Reduced Vo2 max causes increased fat burning. The fatty acid concentration in the blood only reaches very high levels when the intensity of the exercises is low (50% of Vo2 max) and long duration is sufficient. At Vo2 max of 50% the fatty acid oxidation rate is 250 kcal /min, at 80% Vo2 max it is 200 kcal/min and at 100% Vo2 max the rate is 25kcal /min.

For example If you want to loose weight, walking for 45mins is more beneficial than endurance exercises for 10min.

What is Vo2 max?

VO₂ max (also maximal oxygen consumption, maximal oxygen uptake or aerobic capacity) is the maximum capacity of an individual’s body to transport and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise , which reflects the physical fitness of the individual.

Read about VO2 max from wikipedia to know more.

To know more on this and on how we can help you lose fat call Toll Free Number 1800-200-4500 .

Cereal and non-fat milk is as good as a commercially-available sports drink in initiating post-exercise muscle recovery.

Background

This study compared the effects of ingesting cereal and nonfat milk (Cereal) and a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink (Drink) immediately following endurance exercise on muscle glycogen synthesis and the phosphorylation state of proteins controlling protein synthesis: Akt, mTOR, rpS6 and eIF4E.

Methods

Trained cyclists or triathletes (8 male: 28.0+/-1.6 yrs, 1.8+/-0.0 m, 75.4+/-3.2 kg, 61.0+/-1.6 ml O2 * kg-1 * min-1; 4 female: 25.3+/-1.7 yrs, 1.7+/-0.0 m, 66.9+/-4.6 kg, 46.4+/-1.2 mlO2 * kg-1 * min-1) completed two randomly-ordered trials serving as their own controls. After 2 hours of cycling at 60-65% VO2MAX, a biopsy from the vastus lateralis was obtained (Post0), then subjects consumed either Drink (78.5 g carbohydrate) or Cereal (77 g carbohydrate, 19.5 g protein and 2.7 g fat). Blood was drawn before and at the end of exercise, and at 15, 30 and 60 minutes after treatment. A second biopsy was taken 60 minutes after supplementation (Post60). Differences within and between treatments were tested using repeated measures ANOVA.

Results

At Post60, blood glucose was similar between treatments (Drink 6.1+/-0.3, Cereal 5.6+/-0.2 mmol/L, p<.05), but after Cereal, plasma insulin was significantly higher (Drink 123.1+/-11.8, Cereal 191.0+/-12.3 pmol/L, p<.05), and plasma lactate significantly lower (Drink 1.4+/-0.1, Cereal 1.00+/-0.1 mmol/L, p<.05). Except for higher phosphorylation of mTOR after Cereal, glycogen and muscle proteins were not statistically different between treatments. Significant Post0 to Post60 changes occurred in glycogen (Drink 52.4+/-7.0 to 58.6+/-6.9, Cereal 58.7+/-9.6 to 66.0+/-10.0 mumol/g, p<.05) and rpS6 (Drink 17.9+/-2.5 to 35.2+/-4.9, Cereal 18.6+/-2.2 to 35.4+/-4.4 %Std, p<.05) for each treatment, but only Cereal significantly affected glycogen synthase (Drink 66.6+/-6.9 to 64.9+/-6.9, Cereal 61.1+/-8.0 to 54.2+/-7.2%Std, p<.05), Akt (Drink 57.9+/-3.2 to 55.7+/-3.1, Cereal 53.2+/-4.1 to 60.5+/-3.7 %Std, p<.05) and mTOR (Drink 28.7+/-4.4 to 35.4+/-4.5, Cereal 23.0+/-3.1 to 42.2+/-2.5 %Std, p<.05). eIF4E was unchanged after both treatments.

Conclusion

These results suggest that Cereal is as good as a commercially-available sports drink in initiating post-exercise muscle recovery.

Author: Lynne Kammer, Zhenping Ding, Bei Wang, Daiske Hara, Yi-Hung Liao and John L. Ivy

Credits/Source: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2009, 6:11

U utorak sam ponovno bio na testiranju u Dijagnostičkom centru na KIF-u. Ovaj put sam otišao kao ispitanik u znanstvenom istraživanju čiji je glavni cilj istražiti kretanje tjelesne temperature pri testu trčanja na pokretnom sagu uz rastuću brzinu trčanja do vrijednosti maksimalnog opterećenja. To je onako službeno, kako piše u projektu. U biti se radi o standardnom testu za određivanje maksimalnog primitka kisika, anaerobnog praga i zona inteziteta, uz još dvije nove stvari koje se mjere: kut natkoljenice ovisno o brzini trčanja i središnja (unutrašnja) tjelesna temperatura. Upravo ovo posljednje izaziva malu nelagodu kod potencijalnih ispitanika jer se središnja temperatura tijela mjeri rektalno, tj. trči se sa sondom u guzici. Užasno zvuči, i ja sam se dvoumio da li se podvrgnuti takvom testu ili ne, ali sad mogu potvrditi da samo užasno zvuči dok u praksi nije nimalo neugodno. Kao prvo sonda se upotrebljava jednokratno, znači svaki ispitanik ima svoju koja je dezinficirana. Drugo, svatko si sondu sam gurne u analni otvor i tanka je svega 2mm, i treće osjećaj neugode prođe nakon par minuta i dok se počne trčati zaboraviš da imaš nešto u guzici.

Najbolji dokaz da nimalo ne smeta pri trčanju je brzina koju sam postigao na traci – 22,5km/h! Jedan kilometar na sat brže nego prošli put. Nisam još dobio sve rezultate testiranja, ali znam da sam u odnosu na prije tri mjeseca, ne samo povećao maksimalnu brzinu, što sam i očekivao, već sam i na manjim brzinama trčao na nižem pulsu. Prošli put sam na 16km/h imao puls oko 170, a sada je bio 5 otkucaja niži dok sam ovaj put na tom pulsu trčao 17,5 ili 18km/h. Jedino me iznenadilo da nisam uspio postići viši maksimalni puls, mislio sam da ću ovog puta bez problema dići puls iznad 190, ali nije išao preko 188. Maksimalni primitak kisika mi je ostao skoro isti, znači oko 69 mlO2/kg/min, što znači da sam popravio ekonomiku trčanja.

Voditelji projekta traže još ispitanika pa ako je netko zainteresiran može mi se javiti na mail pa ga uputim dalje. Primaju muške, do 40 godina, trkače (ne samo dugoprugaše). I sve je besplatno, a inače je cijena oko 100 eura.

Okay folks, get ready for some hard, hard, hard training over the next few weeks. We’re focusing on that Top End. Zone 6 and 7. High Heart rate, high watts, short durations, short recovery periods. They are leg-burning, lung-busting, sweat breaking, air gasping workouts, so it is CRITICAL that you show up rested, fed, watered, and prepared. Get there as early as you can, so you can warm up properly, and let’s see if these drills can send you in to the stratosphere of fitness and performance!

We just performed some more threshold testing, after 4 weeks of hard Vo2 and even some longer Threshold workouts. Here are the results, from just one month of training…

We’ll add these to the “Wall of Fame”, but here are the % improvements for some of the clients who allowed their information to be posted. Results may be actually better than posted, due to inherent weight loss as spring arrives.

Name 1/6 2/3 3/3 % improvement
SJ 3.11w/kg 3.19w/kg 3%
KS 2.69w/kg 2.93w/kg 8%
RT 1.73w/kg 1.95w/kg 11%
LW 2.45w/kg 2.75w/kg 11%
MB 2.48 3.18 3.38 6%
BD 2.07 3.03 3.4 11%
GW 2.7 2.59 2.8 4%

There’s still more testing to do, with one or two more groups, and we’ll have one final test at the end of March, but I think you get the picture.

Indoor training, using ErgVideo and MultiRider software, on CompuTrainers, when put together with a quarterly block training program, can yield significant improvements in Threshold Power, both absolutely and in W/Kg.

If you want to actually improve your performance on the bike, for rallies, races, triathlons, or general fitness, don’t hesitate to come by and check us out. I’ll have a new announcement for April’s classes coming soon.

Congratulations to everyone, and thanks for participating.

Monday night in Dallas was sleety, icy, cold, and…

it was PERFECT WEATHER for an indoor training session!

Four hardy classmates braved the weather and rush hour to get on their bikes and dip puddles on the floor as we went through some early-off-seaon Anaerobic intervals. The workout was simple…. One set of 27 60-second intervals at 122% with 60-second recoveries. All on, or all off.

Another lung-buster.

Sure, the first few were fine. The middle ones, not so bad, but felt. It was the last 10 or 8 or so that REALLLY got your attention. You see, these intervals play with your metabolic and recovery system like nobody’s business. Every minute of effort, the first 20-25 seconds, your body is ramping up to meet the oxygen needs of the muscles, and to purge the byproducts of muscle contraction, and recycle the energy. But the last 20 seconds, you’re fighting a losing battle. You’re producing more byproduct than you can metabolize, and your body is trying desperately to regulate its’ acidity by purging Co2 through the lungs. Then, when the interval is over, your body STILL has to purge that Co2 to get back to homeostasis.

So everything is delayed-reaction. You don’t start feeling normal again until 30 seconds in to the recovery, and you don’t start getting desperate until thirty seconds in to the interval. The trick to these is training the body to recover as quickly as possible – the watts per interval are not as important.

These are great race duplicators, they do wonders for your Vo2Max, and we’ll be seeing a lot of these in January’s sessions.

part 4/4 of this series

VO2Max is the maximum rate your body can consume oxygen. The way to test it is by attaching a tube to your face that your breath out is analyzed with fancy sensors by a computer. When you breath in it lets air from the room in. By knowing the amount of oxygen in the air in the room and subtracting the oxygen you breath out, the precise amount consumed by your body is calculated.

There are tests to estimate it, but really there is not much point, they are not accurate. For example one test has you measure the distance covered running for 12 minutes, well that assumes a fixed efficiency which is not even remotely the case. So do the tests and have fun trying to figure out what your number is if you want. But, if you want it tested accurately, then go to a Doctor or a Lab that does this sort of testing and shell out some cash. It is measured as volume per body mass per time (ml/kg/min). The reason the per body mass is added is that then the relative number can be compared accurately between individuals with different size bodies. If the absolute number is calculated it will be volume per minute (l/min). Men and women have slightly different numbers due to the higher percentage body fat to keep those babies safe. If adjusted for lean body mass the numbers will be about the same, but that adds another layer of difficulty so it is not done normally.

There seems to be a big deal made of people that test high numbers, for example the highest tested athlete was some nordic cross country skier. But honestly, if that same guy took up running, then he would still have the same VO2Max and it would be attributed to a runner, so what that person happens to do is rather pointless. Also the number in and of itself probably doesn’t really matter. We all have lungs, and a heart, that deliver oxygen to our bodies, we get that whipped into shape and that’s all there is. You can’t train to improve this number once you are fit to compete in an event, nothing much can be done to improve this number. If you are not fit you can improve it by 20% on average unless you are one of the people who can’t, which implies that you weren’t fit but also not bogged down by an unhealthy cardiovascular system. There is little training you can do to improve this number, other than training that will improve the your lactate threshold. So training, if you are not fit will improve it but only by the amount that you are currently “screwed up” because you are not fit. You just workout and train to improve the lactate threshold and you will improve the VO2Max as much as possible as you keep it up. The sorts of things that are improved through training are the amount of blood, increased red blood cell count, and stronger heart and lung muscles. Remember that the VO2Max is the limit and the lactate threshold is how close you can come to that limit because of your own personal cardiovascular system’s ability to remove lactate from the blood.

So although VO2Max matters if you can compete on a high level with say olympic athletes, there are not going to be normal people that have so little they can’t compete at all. As proof of this I offer you the stats for 2 guys, Frank Shorter, US olympic marathon winner, had a VO2Max of 71.3 ml/kg/min, while the pikes peak marathon record holder, Matt Carpenter, had a Vo2Max of 92.0. Now I don’t know for sure but both these guys line up to the start line in their prime physical condition and I bet they both think they will win. And I bet they come close even though the numbers seem to be way off.

The way the test is done also shows you that this number is not all there is to competition. You get on a treadmill and start running. Then you increase the incline and/or speed every 30 seconds until you get so tired you fall off. You need to get to your maximum before you have so much waste product in your muscles that they burn and you can’t go any more because they fatigue. You are trying to stay out of the fatigue area and just measure how much oxygen you can consume. This means that you have passed your lactate threshold and it is building up, and then you are bumping up against your max oxygen intake long enough to see it flatten out all before the lactate build up so much you fall down and can’t go anymore. What happens is you reach say level 20 of the test and you take in 50 ml/kg/min and then on level 21 you take in the same, then on level 22 your face turns red and you are creating energy as fast as you can to make up for the fact that you cannot get more oxygen into your body and they raise it up to level 23 and you finally call them on it and stop running because you just built up an oxygen debt at the same time your lactate level is getting a bit high and between the two you decide it is no longer any fun. They get a graph of this and it levels off even though your workload increased. You cannot keep going harder and harder when this happens as you are creating an oxygen debt that must be paid back sooner rather than later. One Doctor I read from said this is about 2-3 minutes on the high end. From another source it said this is about 6 minutes and suggests that training at this pace with intervals will improve the numbers. Obviously you wont be at VO2Max for the begining of the interval where your body will use some of the other methods of producing that burst of energy until the cardio system kicks into full gear, which might explain why you can go for 6 minutes at that pace that during a proper VO2Max test would lead you to experiencing VO2Max oxygen uptake levels. I can get outside and go to a dead sprint in several seconds and run for a good 5-10 seconds and then stop without being any more winded than if I jogged around the block. This is an example of what I mean that just going fast doesn’t actually get you to VO2Max levels, you have to do it in a certain way. Running at vVO2Max (velocity @VO2Max) doesn’t mean you are taking in maximal oxygen. Although if you keep it up long enough you should in most cases.

Then again you can buy compression tights that claim to improve your VO2Max, so don’t listen to me when I say not to work on this nujmber at all, just work on the other numbers first and much longer than you work on trying to improve VO2Max. Or to think of it another way, if you work on efficieny and lactate threshold you will be doing all you can to improve your VO2Max.

Efter att ha fått göra om löpschemat en aning är det idag dags för korta VO2Max-intervaller: 70/20, snabbt i 70 sekunder och lugn jogg i 20. Räknar med att försöka pressa igenom minst 14 stycken.

A few years back an interesting and somewhat surprising correlation arose from a research study. They analyzed the training of world class runners. They found that average pace of training had a much stronger correlation to marathon times than total miles run. In other words, the runners who ran the most miles did not run the marathon faster. The runners who trained faster on fewer miles (albeit relatively fewer) were faster in the actual racing of marathons. We are talking about world class runners here so from the world record pace of about 4:46 per mile to the 5:10 per mile range (2:05-2:12 marathons) are still fast by all standards.

This is intriguing to me. It makes some logical sense. Run fast to race fast. Lots of “slow” running (again – relatively speaking) will yield slower racing. But, would you might also think that more miles makes someone an aerobic monster. That vaunted VO2max could be off the ceilings! The problem of course is that in separate research from all over the world now, VO2max has been shown to be a very poor predictor of race times and performance. That means if you lined people up in order of high VO2max to low VO2max, the finishing order in a race would not correlate well at all to your order.

Along comes research over the past perhaps 10 years that indicates that lactate threshold (pace at which lactate builds up in blood stream) and vVO2max (speed at which you reach your maximum oxygen uptake) are better indicators of that finishing order (runners with higher readings predominantly do indeed run faster than lower threshold runners).

Some very neat research by Veronica Billat (France) and Heikki Rusko (Finland) amongst others have found that sprint times are better predictors of marathon finishes! That’s right. If you lined up distance runners (not sprinters) and sprinted 50 meters; or 300 meters in another study; the finishing order was much better correlated to marathon finishing order than VO2max!

Ok, this is now all old news really, it’s been tested and researched with similar results over the past 10 plus years. But, I was wondering if we can do a retrospective look at an individual and validate this research on an individual level. We have to remember that research uses statistical analysis and sample groups vary etc. so it may or may not apply to an individual. In light of that, I went back through my records. It was tedious… yet fun. Anyway, here is what I found.

I went back over my running logs and analyzed running mileage and workout paces. (Though I didn’t have times/paces for all workouts many were noted. I do have everyone of my more than 52,000 miles logged.)

The best comparison of data came from 1976-1981 when I ran the Fiesta Bowl Marathon 4 times; all on the same course; with very different approaches to training. The first two times I ran; I put in 1148 and 1278 miles in the 3 months prior to racing. I ran 2:45:17 and 2:47:15 respectively. The following year, I ran 606 miles in the same preceding months (basically half the miles) and ran 2:45:08. I took two years off from marathoning and ran track and cross-country at the community college level and averaged 40 mile weeks for the most part during that time. I came back to the marathon and with 580 miles behind me (same preceding months) I ran 2:36:35, which to this day is my PR. Only 2 months before the 2:36 I ran the Copper Valley Marathon in 2:41:51 with only 460 miles behind me due to some injury time off.

Looking at many of my other 2:40s marathons there was indeed a theme of 35-50 mile weeks with the average weekly total close to the 40 mile mark. What stands out however were paces. The percentage of miles run at or faster than goal pace (approx. 6:00 per mile) were far greater. I routinely did track workouts every week – my average pace for the various intervals would equate to about 4:30-4:40 per mile pace for a total of 3-4 total quality miles. The other noticeable difference is that I ran 10-13 mile runs almost every week and certainly every other week at paces from 5:40-6:00 pace. It is remarkable to read from my logs in the months leading up to the ‘76 & ‘77 marathons. Regular comments were jotted down about how tired I was; how much I ached all over; but I was determined to get those mile in. I rarely did much pace or speed work because I was just too beat up and of course I was taught you only do that in the final weeks leading up to racing.

Granted there are other variables no one will know their impact. For instance, one could argue that if I had more miles combined with the higher pace I could have done even better. Or, the timing of my last “long” runs as we know today were too close to race day. I always raced a bit “damaged.” We’ll never know. What I do know is that with efficient training at higher speeds I didn’t need to run “more miles” to be competitive and that, at least in this one case study – it mirrors the science. In a worse case scenario it indicates that a runner can run every bit as fast (and faster) on less miles if they do the right things. Conversely, a runner who runs a lot of miles may in fact do well also (or may very well not) but they put a lot more time into their training with far greater risks for injuries.

[By the way, if one WANTS to run more miles just because the love it - that is a totally separate issue from training efficiency and racing results. If you love it  - then do it. The point is not to fool yourself into thinking the "more and more miles" above what I call a "practical race base" makes you a "faster runner."]

Jag börjar bli dålig på att uppdatera bloggen nu, ska ta och skärpa mig, I promise…

Igår hade jag en alternativdag men två pass, först tennis i två timmar med Jacke och sen blev jag så inspirerad av Tour de France så det blev ett cykelpass på tre mil. Cyklingen kan väl beskrivas som fartlek med olika hastigheter, blandat sittande/stående, skönt med lite extra fart i alla fall.

Roligast under cykelpasset var när jag avslutat min långspurt och precis börjat varva ner på låg växel. Helt plötsligt säger det “Svisch!” och tre cyklister far förbi mig, “Eskilstuna Triathlonklubb! Nej nu jä*lar!!!” tänker jag och försöker växla upp så fort som möjligt. Dessvärre är inte mjölksyran riktigt bort ur benen så jag kommer inte upp ur sittande position men slänger ändå i högsta växeln och trampar som en galning… Luckan blir aldrig mindre än kanske 10 meter, tyvärr. Åååh, så kul det hade varit att dra om, nästa gång så!

Över tre timmars träning summerar gårdagen alltså, inte illa för en löpfri dag. Idag blev det bara halva träningstiden, men fördelat på två löppass istället.

Började dagen med den nästan obligatoriska morgonjoggen på ganska precis halvtimmen, 5,77 km i 5:16-tempo. Roligast att rapportera därifrån är en spurt mot en traktor som började lugnt, kontrollerat, och slutade i maxfart med dött lopp och tummen upp från förarhytten. Nästa gång så!

Det andra passet, kvalitetspasset, var ett egenkonstruerat VO2Max-pass. Tanken var att dels träna upp kapaciteten för musklernas syreupptagningsförmåga men ocksåa tt känna på sub19-farten för 5000 meter. Konstruktionen bestod av fyra delar på vardera 1250 meter med tre minuters stå-/gå-/joggvila. Enligt Jack Daniels tar det nämligen två minuter att komma upp till VO2max-träningen och sen ska man ligga kvar där en stund, dessutom “ska” man få ila lite längre och gärna röra på sig under vilan. Att 4×1250 meter dessutom blir 5 km är ju ingen slump direkt…

Löpkänslan var bra och kanske höll jag igen lite när jag smattrade fram på asfalten längs med gamla E20, lite mer kunde jag nog tagit i, men nu skulle jag ju träna på att hålla tävlingsfarten 3:48 min/km också… Temposnitten 3:41, 3:36, 3:39, 3:41 vittnar ju i alla fall om fyra jämna iterationer även om det gick lite fortare än planerat, men det tror jag nog att jag kan ta!

Dagen avslutades sedan med årets tredje golfrunda, även om det bara blev nio hål i kvällsluften. Överraskade mig själv med fyra par och ruskigt bra spel innan jag sen landade på +5 med fem bogeys, stabilt eller vad av en medelhandicapare som inte hållt i en golfklubba på tre månader!? Nästan så att man blir lite sugen på att försöka toppa formen till klubbmästerskapet i mitten av augusti, inget lopp den helgen ändå så… aja, vi får se.

Imorgon blir det ännu en alternativdag med tennis och cykling, veckans löpmängd kommer inte komma upp i förra veckans Strängnäs—>Stockholm-notering men det blir kanske 70 km och en del annan träning ändå.

Kör hårt!

(Här var det meningen att det skulle vara en fin bild tagen med min nya telefon men det får bli en annan dag…)

David Benyamine has been having a huge rollercoaster lately – on tuesday he won over $260.000 and yesterday he was going downhill and fast! Losing $447.000 during the day. The biggest winner was screenname pekay – taking home $185.000.

From pekay to David Benyamine:

pekay: i love u
pekay: but i dont want to bust u

Pekay has been another new screenname to immidiately start winning at the highest cash games at Full Tilt Poker. He seems to be from Sweden and propably a household name already – but who?

LarsLuzak no longer at Full Tilt?

Sami Kelopuro aka. LarsLuzak/LrsLzk/Barbaggo/Eskimoes7 has been playing lately mostly at the Betfair, Microgaming network and at Ladbrokes.

The games at Betfair have been running hot at the $250/500 tables, but on the other sites they have been running mostly at $100/200 NL.

He has had opponents like LIMPA_DIRR and Vo2Max challenging him at the $100/200 no-limit tables – but we still hope to see some action at the $200/400 tables. Yesterday he won around $90.000

Here is a screenshot from one of Kelopuros yesterdays pots:

In November 2007, Lance Armstrong finished his second marathon in New York in 2:46:43 hours. He improved his time by 13 minutes. In 2006, he had run the NY Marathon in 2:59:36 hours – where he suffered a stress fracture. This year, he finished his third marathon in Boston in 2:50:58 hours.

It’s interesting to see what an athlete with an extremely high oxygen uptake capacity achieves in running. Maximal oxygen uptake is – among other factors – a determinant of performance which in the case of Lance as a cyclist was extraordinary! Think of his Tour de France triumphs… However, running strains the joints, ligaments and bones differently than cycling. All the weight lasts on the legs and feet. Therefore also intersting: his weight is 78 kg and his height 178 cm. So Lance is not quite meager, his BMI is well above the top-runner’s range: 24.6!

He was serially tested over 8 years from the age of 21 years by the physiologist Edward F. Coyle at The University of Texas at Austin. Lance’s maximal heart rate at the age of 28 years was still around 200/min. Maximal oxygen uptake  (VO2 max) was as high as 72 to 80 ml/min/kg, and his lactate threshold was 78% of maximal oxygen uptake! The original scientific publication appeared in the J Appl Physiol 2005.

I think there are some interesting points to learn from him:

• VO2max is not the best indicator of running performance as it does not include running efficiency
• adequate preparation is mandatory, especially for joints and bones