| In the world of endurance, it seems that you cannot | | | | increase from 60% to above 70% or even higher. Elite |
| discuss fitness without discussing VO2 max. Ask any | | | | endurance athletes typically have an LT at or above |
| endurance athlete about it and you will hear epic | | | | 80% of VO2 max. Although most endurance athletes |
| stories with names like Indurain, LeMond, and | | | | usually train LT in the pool, on the bike or during the run, |
| Armstrong. Many of you however, may find | | | | we have several protocols in the gym designed |
| yourselves wondering what exactly VO2 max is and | | | | specifically to improve LT. Furthermore, because |
| why is it so important. To better understand this | | | | specificity of movement is very important when |
| concept let's take a little trip back to school, specifically | | | | training LT, these protocols address both the lower |
| back to physiology class. According to the Essentials | | | | and upper body (See table 1). |
| of Strength Training and Conditioning textbook, VO2 | | | | Last but not least, we can now tackle efficiency and |
| max is the maximum amount of oxygen in milliliters, | | | | economy of movement. The difference between |
| one can use in one minute per kilogram of body | | | | efficiency and economy in an exercise setting is that, |
| weight (ml/kg/min). In other words, maximal oxygen | | | | for a given energy consumption, economy is |
| uptake (VO2 max) is the greatest amount of oxygen | | | | measured as movement velocity, while efficiency is |
| that can be used at the cellular level for the entire | | | | measured as mechanical power output. What does all |
| body. VO2 max has been found to correlate well with | | | | that mean? It means that efficiency and economy can |
| an individual's degree of physical conditioning, and has | | | | be just as important as VO2 or LT. To better |
| been accepted as an index of total body fitness. | | | | understand this concept just think of the last time you |
| Numerous studies show that one can increase his/her | | | | were out for a group ride. Was it easier to pull at the |
| VO2 max by working out at an intensity that raises | | | | front or sit in? Sit in, of course! Why is that? Because |
| the heart rate to between 65 and 85% of its | | | | sitting in allows for more efficient movement and less |
| maximum, for at least 20 minutes, three to five times | | | | exertion, which in turn will allow you to be more |
| per week. The estimated mean value of VO2 max | | | | economical. Think of every joint in a given movement |
| for male athletes is about 3.5 liters/minute, and for | | | | as an opportunity to leak power. The more joints |
| female athletes is about 2.7 liters/minute. | | | | involved in a movement, the more opportunity there is |
| Now that we know what VO2 is, we can now | | | | to leak power; the more stable the joint, the less |
| answer the question, "Why is it so important?" For the | | | | power that leaks; the less power that leaks, the more |
| endurance athlete, VO2 has long been considered the | | | | efficiency in a given activity. |
| holy grail of fitness. The common rationale is the better | | | | So how do these concepts apply to strength training? |
| one can utilize oxygen, the higher the level one can | | | | Frequently, I am asked to watch someone run on the |
| perform in endurance events. Is this however, really | | | | treadmill and look at their gait. Instead, I ask them to |
| the case? | | | | perform 10 anterior reaches on a single leg. If this is |
| Although VO2 max is an important component of any | | | | difficult, that tells me their hips are not as stable as |
| endurance program, I have both good news and bad | | | | they could be and their gait could not possibly be as |
| news for those of us who have may not have | | | | good as it should be. The same goes for the shoulder |
| chosen the right parents! The bad news is that | | | | joint. If you cannot manage a set of t-stabilization |
| according to Exercise Physiologist Neal Henderson, | | | | push-ups with good form, then your swim stroke is not |
| Coordinator of Sport Science at the Boulder Center | | | | as efficient and economical as it could be. |
| for Sports Medicine in Colorado, VO2 is approximately | | | | Now for all of you skeptics out there, all I ask is for |
| 80% genetic. Other estimates put this number | | | | you to just try it. Perhaps before the next time you go |
| anywhere between 30-60%. Whatever the number is, | | | | to test your VO2 (no fun by any means), you might |
| one thing is certain; there is a genetic ceiling for VO2. | | | | first try taking a look at your anterior reaches or t-stab |
| The good news is that VO2 is trainable. Unfortunately, | | | | push-ups or the protocol listed in Table 1. These |
| if Neal Henderson's 80% estimate is correct, and your | | | | alternatives are not meant to point out your |
| VO2 is, for example, at 45ml/kg-/min (average), your | | | | shortcomings or embarrass, but rather to empower |
| best may only be 52 ml/kg-/min after a 20% gain (52 | | | | you. Rather than whining about genetics (though, trust |
| ml/kg-/min is considered to be good or just above | | | | me, I still do), try testing your limits in some of the ways |
| average). | | | | mentioned earlier. I assure you that you will find what |
| To put this into perspective, Lance Armstrong checks | | | | my most successful clients have found; that through a |
| in at about 84ml/kg-/min, while cross-country skier | | | | comprehensive functional strength-training program, |
| Bjorn Daehlie measured at an astounding 96 ml/kg/min. | | | | economy, efficiency and lactate threshold can be |
| The highest VO2 max ever recorded in a lab was | | | | improved, making maximal VO2 less important. |
| 300 ml/kg/min! This, of course, did not belong to a | | | | Table 1 |
| human, but rather a pronghorn antelope. How they got | | | | Super Legs |
| the antelope to run on the treadmill I'll never know, but I | | | | Exercise Repetitions Notes |
| promise I'm not making this up. Thoroughbred horses | | | | Speed Squats 20 20 reps in less than 20 seconds to |
| have a VO2max of around 180 ml/kg/min, and Siberian | | | | parallel |
| dogs running in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race sled | | | | Lunges 20 (10 per side) Alternate legs, knee just off |
| race have VO2 values as high as 240 ml/kg/min. To | | | | ground |
| add even more perspective, Olympic marathon | | | | Box shuffle/Split jump 20 (10 per side) Use 9" box |
| winners and elite runners like Jeff Galloway, Alberto | | | | Squat jumps 10 Squat to parallel and no rest between |
| Salazar and Frank Shorter check in among the low to | | | | jumps |
| mid 70's (see Table 2 for a list of athletes and their | | | | Complete entire circuit without resting in less than 1:30 |
| respective VO2's). | | | | Table 2 |
| The good news is, like the previously mentioned | | | | VO2 Athlete Sport |
| runners, although you may be at your genetic potential, | | | | 92.5 Greg LeMond Professional cyclist |
| there are many factors besides VO2 max that can | | | | 92.0 Matt Carpenter Pikes Peak marathon course |
| also influence your success in endurance performance. | | | | record holder |
| Improving efficiency and economy of movement as | | | | 91.0 Harri Kirvesniem Finnish cross country skier |
| well as raising your anaerobic threshold (LT) can lead | | | | 88.0 Miguel Indurain Professional cyclist |
| to performance enhancements in the absence of | | | | 87.4 Marius Bakken Norwegian 5k record holder |
| increases in VO2. These three components can all be | | | | 85.0 Dave Bedford 10k world record |
| addressed through a functional strength-training | | | | 84.4 Steve Prefontaine US runner |
| program. Now let's take a closer look at each of these | | | | 84.0 Lance Armstrong Professional cyclist |
| components. | | | | 82.0 Kip Keino Olympic 1500 champion |
| Continuing on, in our physiology lesson, now would be a | | | | 81.1 Craig Virgin World cross country champ x2 |
| good time to talk about lactate threshold (LT) and its | | | | 81.0 Jim Ryun US miler WR holder |
| relationship to VO2. Dr. Stephen Seiler of Masters | | | | 80.1 Steve Scott US miler 3:47 |
| Athlete Physiology and Performance says, "For the | | | | 78.6 Joan Benoit 1984 Olympic Marathon Champion |
| endurance athlete, a high VO2 max is like having an | | | | 78.5 Bill Rodgers 2:09:27 marathoner |
| invitation to the big dance but having an invitation to the | | | | 77.4 Don Kardong 2:11:15 marathoner |
| dance does not ensure you will dance with the | | | | 77.0 Sebastian Coe 1500 WR mile |
| prettiest girl." If you want to dance with that girl, you | | | | 76.0 Alberto Salazar 2:08:51 marathoner |
| are going to have to work on your LT! (And you | | | | 74.4 Johnny Halberstadt 2:11:44 marathoner |
| thought it was big guns and washboard abs that | | | | 73.3 Bruce Fordyce Ultramarathoner |
| attracted the girls) LT, as pointed out in one of my | | | | 73.0 Jeff Galloway Running expert |
| previous articles (see Lactic Acid; The Good, The Bad, | | | | 73.0 Buddy Edelen 2:14:28 world record marathoner |
| and The Ugly), is the point where the body produces | | | | (1963) |
| more lactic acid than it can clear. Training LT will result | | | | 72.3 Peter Snell Olympic champion |
| in a decrease in lactate production at any given | | | | 71.3 Frank Shorter US Olympic Marathon winner |
| exercise intensity. Untrained individuals usually reach the | | | | 71.2 Ingrid Kristiansen Former Marathon World Record |
| LT at about 60% of VO2 max. This means that even | | | | Holder |
| if my VO2 is 70 ml/kg/min, which is an elite level, I can | | | | 70.3 Willie Mtolo 2:08:15 marathoner |
| only use 60% of it, or 42 ml/kg/min (average), before | | | | 67. |
| my LT shuts me down. With training, however, LT can | | | | |