Triathlon Tutor

Want to know how to test your VO2max? Check out the new Instagram post! instagram.com/p/CW8c0S_p50a/…

Just posted a photo instagram.com/p/CWvkc4oJYb7/…

Question and answer time, what are your burning questions about endurance physiology!? @criticalo2 instagram.com/p/CW0sRaZro-h/…

New article exploring if 9 weeks of combined strength and endurance training interfere with each other. See this Instagram post by @criticalo2 instagram.com/p/CWqRNiXF0XM/… Source: Lee MJ-C et al. (2020) doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone…

New post exploring some VO2max intervals I completed, where I look at heart rate, SmO2, and power output response! See this Instagram post by @criticalo2 instagram.com/p/CWlVj9vJ1Zj/…

ATP is the cellular energy currency. Hydrolysis of ATP results in energy release from the terminal phosphate group, which can be harnessed to power muscle contraction and many other cellular processes.

At the start of exercise, skeletal muscle contracts to generate the force output necessary to accomplish the necessary task. This requires energy. ATP is broken down and used to power muscle contraction.

Big Picture: Skeletal muscle contraction requires A LOT of ATP.

Cellular work can involve muscle contraction, ion transport, nerve signal propagation, and much more. Therefore, ATP is required for continued skeletal muscle contraction during exercise!

The third phosphate bond of ATP is hydrolyzed (broken down) to form ADP and Pi, the breaking of this bond releases energy that can be harnessed to do cellular work.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the energy currency of the cell.

The purpose of the current post/paper is to assess the effects of strength training in middle- and long- distance race performance via meta-analysis.

Sources: Bassett DR, Howley ET. Limiting factors for maximum oxygen uptake and determinants of endurance performance. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1064… Levine BD. .VO2max: what do we know, and what do we still need to know? J Physiol. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1800…

Takeaway: VO2max represents your bodies maximal capacity for transport and utilization of oxygen. Therefore, improving VO2max increases your aerobic engine and is a great way to increase performance potential! More specifics on how to test and train VO2max are on the way!

High VO2max is linked to better endurance performance across groups of athletes of different talent levels, however, in elite-level athletes VO2max is not the best predictor of performance!

If we think of the human body as a car, VO2max represents the size of your car’s aerobic engine. The larger the engine, the higher the maximal horsepower and the higher the potential for performance is.

For testing, VO2max is typically measured as the highest oxygen consumption over 20-60 seconds during a ramp or step protocol where cycling power or running speed is continually increased until exhaustion. During the test, heart rate, and CO2 creation are also measured.

Therefore, VO2max is the combination of how much oxygen your cardiovascular system can uptake and deliver and how much can be extracted.

Fick Principle: VO2=(HR*SV)*(AVO2diff) HR = how fast your heart is beating SV = how much blood your heart is ejecting during each beat HR*SV = Cardiac Output - how much oxygen your body can deliver to muscle AVO2diff = how much oxygen your skeletal muscle is extracting

Maximal Oxygen Consumption (VO2max) is the highest rate of oxygen utilization your body can achieve during intense exercise. Think of it as the size of your aerobic engine.