anaerobic?aerobic?VO2max? aah explain.

senzed

I read about all these different kinds of training but I have no idea what they are or how to do them. could someone help me simplify all those different training terms that I might find out there?

Also, If I were a beginner cyclist wanting to race in about 8 months, what types of training should I begin with and what types should I add on later on so that I'll do well by april.


thanks

serottarider

Hi there,

There's a ton of really good books on training out there, which will explain the terminology a lot better than I can in this forum. Joe Friel's "Cyclist's Training Bible", Ed Burke's "Serious Cycling" and the Chris Carmichael's "Lance Armstrong Performance Program" all provide good grounding and solid explanation of the terminology of training. The Friel book is parhaps a little more technical than the others, and the Carmichael book is very readable.

If you're planning to start racing I strongly recommend that you start shopping now for a local licensed cycling Coach. That way you can work on all the aspects needed to race effectively, the physical conditioning, bike handling skills as well as tactics and the psychology of racing. If you join a local Club you can join in on the group rides and practice group riding skills too. With 8 months available to you, you should be able to achieve some really good gains.

Good luck!

infinitive one

to improve your Vo2max which is basically increasing the number of red blood cells which results in the muscles working more efficently do this 5min hard not quite sprint speed and then 2 min easy repeat this at least twice to get the full benefits

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senzed

I've read a lot about cyclists focusing on speed training more than endurance. What do they mean by speed training. Are they basically intervals, and if so, what kinds of intervals do bikers do?

kokopuffs

Aerobic is oxygen intake is greater that oxygen consumed. Aka "SECOND WIND". In jogging (assuming you're in shape) the aerobic state is reached after 10-15 minutes of jogging. At that point one is able to carry a normal conversation without losing one's breath. At that point, the burning of fat dramatically increases all the way (as I faintly recall) to around 30-40% after 30-40 minutes of aerobic activity.

Anerobic, one feels winded. More sugar than fat is metabolized.

2LAP

Aerobic = with oxygen. Refers to the source of energy that supplies the exercise (i.e. aerobic energy system). Any effort over 30 seconds has a significant contribution from this energy system. This energy system provides a greater percentage of the energy as the duration of the event extends. Fat, carbohydrate and limited protein is metabolised by the aerobic energy system. Glycogen depletion, dehydration, day light, etc. are limiting factors for aerobic metabolism.

VO2 max = the maximal rate of oxygen consumption. Is used to measure how large a persons aerobic capcity is. This is acheived at close to your maximum heart rate. Increasing your VO2 max will increase the amount of energy you can supply aerobicaly and have massive effects on your endurance performance. VO2 max is a product of your

Q max (cardiac output) and a-vO2 difference (difference in oxygen leaving and returing to the heart).

Adaptations in the heart and periphery (e.g. muscles, capilaries) results in its improvement. It is usualy expressed as an absolute value (L per minute) or relative value (ml per minute per kg).

VO2 max (or the intensity at VO2 max) can be maintained for up to 10 minutes in very motivated and trained individuals.

Anaerobic - energy provided without oxygen. This energy comes from two energy systems alactic and lactic (these are the ways coaches normaly describe them, I'll leave out the scientific terms).
Typicaly these energy systems provide large amounts of energy but are short lived.

Alactic - anaerobic, but without lactic. Uses creatine phospahate (similar to dietary creatine) to rapidly produce energy. Provides energy for maximal efforts and sprints of up to 10 seconds (e.g. energy for track sprint, start of 1 km TT, start of Time Trials, sprints in races only if the rider is rested). After depleting creatine stores energy from the aerobic system is used to resynthesise the creatine, this can take 2 to 3 minutes at rest or far longer when exercise is maintained (e.g. a TT or RR).

Lactic - anaerobic, results in the production of lactic. Lactic acid is produced ALL OF THE TIME however in small quantities that are removed by the exercising muscles, resting muscles and liver. During exercise lactic acid is produced at an increasing rate. When lactic acid production exceeds removal this is the lactate threshold and lactate starts to accumulate.

Lactate is not bad (and begins life as a glucose molecule (i.e. carbohydrate)) as it can be respired by muscles (particulary the cardiac/heart muscle)(i.e. reenters the aerobic energy system) or can be converted back to glucose in the liver. Lactic acid does not cause fatigue directly, rather the changes associated with lactic production (e.g. changes in pH). As this system uses carbohydrate, it can lead to an incraesed rate of glycogen depletion (i.e. the knock). The lactic energy system is recruited significantly at intensities above LT to maximal sprints. The highest accumulations of lactate occur following maximal sprints of about 1 minute.

Lactate threshold - see above. This is associated with (but not exactly) the highest intensity at which a rider can maintain for a period of time. Below the LT a rider can continue until dehydration, glycogen depletion, darkness falls, etc. While above LT fatigue occurs rapidly as a result of lactic acid accumulation or glycogen depletion, the time to fatigue is related to the intensity above LT riden. Short and middle distance time trials are ridden above LT (hence why people talk about a TT power - this isn't a physiological term though).

Increasing LT and VO2 max means that a given rider can produce a large amount of energy aerobicaly for long periods of time. These are very important; the highest values are see in cross country skiiers and pro cyclists (tour de france). They are important in endurnace cycling as they determine the avarege power output, along with something called economy. In events where there is sprinting, such as road racing, the aerobic energy system is still the most important (i.e. it keeps you at the front of the field) whereas anaerobic energy systems allow you to be tactical (i.e. sprint for the finish). In time trials and touring events, VO2 max and LT are most inportant as they limit (and are associated with) the maximum intensity you can maintain.

Economy - the energy cost for traveling at a power output. You produce energy using your energy systems and how efficiently you use this energy determines how fast you travel. In cycling there is little variation in economy, because the number of movements that can be made are limited (i.e. your feet are on pedals) (economy is fundamental in running where the legs can move 'freely'). This is expressed as watts per ml (of oxygen) per minute. Someone that can produce more watts for a given amount of energy will go further/faster than someone that produces less watts for the same amount of energy.

If you want more information go to a biochemistry of sport book rather than coaching books. In coaching books the authors tend to 'translate' these terms loosely and apply them to their own 'coaching product' (i.e. they loose accuarcy).

2LAP

When people talk about riding at any of these levels (VO2/LT), they mean riding at a power output or HR that represents and elicits this level.

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2LAP

Check out the last few pages of this news letter from British Cycling, its all about energy systems and a little about how they apply to coaching and cycling....

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/co.../ccsept2002.pdf

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zakeen

@2Lap - 10/10 there....... you killed this thread!!! No more to be added, 2Lap covered everything and more!

I just hope you didnt scared the kid off.

@2lap do you own this site??

ric_stern/RST

2Lap, and myself are some of the training moderators here! As well as Maarten and Steve.

Ric

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2LAP

Sorry, but some things are important and I hope this will help others reading the other posts.

edd

Great explanation 2Lap, but I'm wondering if SENZED is going to get his head around it ?

Very simply put... The AEROBIC ( with oxygen ) level of physical activity is usually regarded as all intensities of constant work load that can be sustained for periods of 4 minutes to 8 hours ( 8 hours being nominal )

The ANAEROBIC ( without oxygen ) level of physical activity is usually regarded as all intensities of constant work load that can only be sustained for periods of less than a minutes. When you work at this level toxins accumulate in the muscles and fatigue sets in pretty quickly.

There are other aspects ie: ATP etc, I won't confuse you with this, you can go read about it.

Now here’s the bit I want all of you who are reading this to get.
you are always working aerobic/anaerobically.

An extreme effort lasting only 10 seconds which is regarded as a anaerobic activity still has a 35% aerobic contribution. ( depends a bit on the muscles recruited )

Thing to come to grips with is “intensities of constant work load” that can only be sustained for less then 4 minutes are going to be very detrimental to an endurance effort so unless you can factor in some recovery, you are gonna nail yourself.

“intensities of constant work load” that can only be sustained for less then 30 minutes are going to have a significant anaerobic contribution, and yes, nasty toxins can be slowly accumulating.


http://www.ffh.us/cn/hadd.htm

I thought this was a very good read, link was posted on another thread on this forum.