V02 and fitness testing

[Paul Frost]

In my determined attempt to get faster I am looking for somewhere in Scotland that can do a V02 test and give some advice/training suggestions, any suggestions?.

I seem to have a problem in that my heart rate zooms up to 85% of my maximum as soon as I start running. I run or cycle most days and have a resting heart rate of 50bpm or less, so would consider myself fairly fit. But my 10k time of 54mins (avg HR 159, max 177) is not exactly fast.

[richardm]

thsi page (and entire website in fact) is pretty useful, http://www.brianmac.co.uk/vo2max.htm

there are some links down the page a bit that tell you how to test your vo2 max i think, and there are plenty of suggestions for improving it through training etc.
hope its helpful

[Kitch]

VO2 max may not be the best test for your needs.
its just one number
Sounds like you really need a profile.

i.e. what is your body doing at various levels of exertion.
from this you can judge the right level of exertion to maximise training benefit (because you know that level gives the appropriate stimulus).

In the past I used to control my training effort using a heart rate monitor.
I had a heart rate to blood lactate profile. and used that to determine appropriate HR zones for various training sessions.

[Kitch]

Some observations / comparisons which may be interesting

assuming 177 is your max hr

* your ave HR for 10k is 90% of max
I would expect mine to be 97 %

This doesn't mean to say that you are not trying hard but indicates that your capability to make extended use at the top end of your capacity is fairly low.

* You hit 85% as soon as you start running

I can jog around at just under 70%
"running" starts at 77%
for me 85% is a decent steady paced run but not a great effort


* So you have a 5% range between just running, and 10k race pace.

from jogging to racing I have a 30 %
from running to racing its a 20% range.

The conclusion is that there should be loads of potential for improvement.

You appear to be a one paced runner.
Are you a one paced trainer by any chance?

The way to that improvement though is various training sessions at different intensities for different durations.
a lactate profile would tell you what those intensities (measured by HR) and durations might be.


You'll probably need a further test as fitness progresses to tell you how to adjust training due to increased fitness.

[graeme]

or, in the less scientific language preferred by professors, "do some interval training".

Kitch wrote an excellent article on how to get started...

http://www.nopesport.com/index.php?nav= ... als&id=102


IMO, there are few places in Scotland where you'll get better advice.


Edit: oops, Kitch doesn't mention interval training there, must have been in the Edinburgh Training Group section. Basically, nobody really knows why it works but the effect on race speed (not fitness) is dramatic.

The difference between "not doing intervals" and "doing intervals" is huge, while the difference between "doing intervals" and "doing the optimal interval session for you" is rather small, providede you have enough recovery to avoid injury.

For running at VO2 max, I prefer intervals around 3 mins duration, with less than that recovery. There are studies to suggest this is best, but then you can find studies to support most training regimes.

[FatBoy]

I would say your 10km profile of %age heart rate is probably very similar to mine, although I'd probably shade under 50 for a flat one. My PB for 10km is just under 36 though, yet I'm not massively slower at orienteering than when I ran that time. The entire difference between now and then is I do virtually no flat speed work, whereas when I did that time, I probably did too much flat speed work and not enough anything else (hey I may find the balance one day). What I'm trying to say is that your running fitness is almost certainly geared around orienteering speed rather than flat tarmac speed. Best thing is probably to get down to an athletics track and do some speed interval sessions.

[Paul Frost]

Thanks for the analysis Kitch.
I think you are probably right in my being a "one paced runner".
I do try and add some sprint intervals when I run and cycle but obviously not enough.
Living in Argyll, my exercise usually involves hills. I thought these were providing an interval equivalent in effort.

As you mention, I think I could benefit from a profile and some advice on a training schedule. The question is, where can I get one? I have done a Google search, but some recommendations would be good.
Am I right in thinking that a V02 test would be a useful part of any profile though?

I'll also follow Graeme's advice and have a read of your Nopesport article.

[Kitch]

not only intervals
(which come in different types (speed / endurance))
also tempo runs
of higher and lower intensity

[Kitch]

There's Scottish Institute of Sport at Stirling Uni
probably something at Glasgow, Edinburgh can do these things at FASIC.

All the stuff you see that defines training intenities based around VO2 max tends to be based on running pace (run at x% of your 10 k pace)
fine for flatish road runnning - no use for ranging the hills.
do you have a HRM ?
if so some sort of profile that can specify your effort against HR allows you use the HRM to pitch your training - whatever the terrain.

[Paul Frost]

Is the Scottish Institute etc. open to the public?
I remember looking into this a few years ago but it was all based in universities and only open to students.

I have a Garmin Edge305 combined GPS/HRM/Cadence.
I also use SportTracks software to analyse the data.

I obviously need to read more about how to plan a training schedule using that data.

[Duncan]

Coincidentally I had a fitness test just this Wednesday. It was a Teesside Uni, whose sport science department is advanced in terms of the equipment they have (including state of the art humidity chamber that Heather spent lots of time in preparing for the conditions at WOC in Japan).

They tested lots of things. Body weight, height, body fat percentage (using calipers to take skin fold measurements), vertical jumps (to measure explosive power). But the main test consisted of going on a treadmill with the speed increased about 1 km/hr every 2 mins until you can't continue (yes it was quite hard work). Meanwhile you are have a heart rate monitor on, a breathing mask to measure VO2 and other stuff (they were most proud of their new £12,000 piece of kit that did this), and they took blood lactate from pin pricks in the finger every two minutes.

The result they were most interested in was the blood lactate, and how it increases during the above test - it goes gradually up, then you reach your threshold and it climbs more steeply. The aim with some structured training would be to increase the running speed at which your threshold occurs in the above test. In comparison they reckoned that if you are already training a reasonable amount then you won't be able to change your VO2 max a great deal.

My testing was funded by a grant CLOK was awarded, but I believe Teesside Uni do consultancy / testing for any members of the public if you fancied a trip a short way south. About £50 per testing session, less if you come in a group.