Increasing VO2 max...

aTmSpectre said:

Other than just working out alot is there anything specific that can be done to get my VO2 max up? Tips, hints, etc?

I wish I could afford one of those cool tents that Lance sleeps in, but I can't.

I haven't heard of anything! Hardcore training day in and day out.
Or you could move to Boulder, CO.(my home town) and train in the high altitude like the rest of the pro athletes.😄

aTmSpectre said:

Other than just working out alot is there anything specific that can be done to get my VO2 max up? Tips, hints, etc?

I wish I could afford one of those cool tents that Lance sleeps in, but I can't.

I wouldn't even worry about your VO2 max, since just getting a higher number on a lab test isnt' going to make you a better rider.

Suggest you just train what you want to improve. If you want to climb better, or sprint faster, then do specific climbing or sprinting workouts.

dhk said:

I wouldn't even worry about your VO2 max, since just getting a higher number on a lab test isnt' going to make you a better rider.

Suggest you just train what you want to improve. If you want to climb better, or sprint faster, then do specific climbing or sprinting workouts.

Amen brother!

dhk said:

I wouldn't even worry about your VO2 max, since just getting a higher number on a lab test isnt' going to make you a better rider.

Suggest you just train what you want to improve. If you want to climb better, or sprint faster, then do specific climbing or sprinting workouts.

although knowing your VO2max 'number' may not be that important, having a high VO2max is, as this is the rate limiting mechanism in endurance exercise.

Endurance training itself may well increase VO2max, and more importantly MAP (http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=powerstern), however, intervals of 3 - ~ 8-mins at an effort that just tends to elicit VO2max, will ultimately increase VO2max and MAP at the fastest rate, see http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/trainingstern.shtml

ric

ric_stern/RST said:

although knowing your VO2max 'number' may not be that important, having a high VO2max is, as this is the rate limiting mechanism in endurance exercise.

Endurance training itself may well increase VO2max, and more importantly MAP (cyclingnews.comfitnessOpen ↗), however, intervals of 3 - ~ 8-mins at an effort that just tends to elicit VO2max, will ultimately increase VO2max and MAP at the fastest rate, see cyclingnews.comtrainingstern.shtmlOpen ↗

ric

Ric - I read somewhere (maybe Burkes book) that it wasn't so much the absolute value of VO2 max that was the limiter but the % of VO2 max you can work at in a rr or TT...which would mean intervals etc to raise your lactate threshold....is this the case?

thanks

gooders said:

Ric - I read somewhere (maybe Burkes book) that it wasn't so much the absolute value of VO2 max that was the limiter but the % of VO2 max you can work at in a rr or TT...which would mean intervals etc to raise your lactate threshold....is this the case?

thanks

Yes and no! The first link i provided suggests that most people, even after moderate training tend to be able to TT at around the same percentage of MAP irrespective of absolute fitness. In the power zone article it suggests that most people can TT for ~ 1-hr at 72 to 77 % of MAP. This is the case for elite TT1 riders capable of winning world TT championship, and 3rd and 4th category racers.

Obviously, there is a difference in power between 72 and 77%, which is significant, and it does make sense to be able to increase that sustainable effort.

however, VO2max is the rate limiting mechanism (and for the purpose of this thread we can synonymously use MAP as well). If MAP and VO2max aren't a high absolute figure then it matters not a lot what your percentage is. The upper limit for 1-hr TT efforts is ~90% VO2max (which equates to ~77% MAP using the protocol suggested). Thus, if your MAP was 300 W and even if you could ride at 80% for an hour (which you couldn't do!) your sustainable TT power would be 240 W. If on the other hand someone had a MAP of 400 W and could only TT at 70%, then their sustainable power would be 280 W. Everything else being equal the person with the higher MAP and lower operating % would be better.

While it's generally unlikely that people operate at these two extremes, it is important to raise the % that you can sustain. Prior to reaching the upper limit ~77% you need to start increasing your MAP, which will mean you have more 'head room' prior to increasing your sustainable power.

ric