J
Hi All,
I have been thinking about ways to improve my LT, and this has raised a
few questions.
LT varies by disipline. Rowing, skating, sking, cycling, etc. LT is
defined as the maximum level of exertion attainable such that blood
lactate levels are able (though elevated) to remain constant. Higher
levels of exertion result in ever increasing levels of lactate, and are
thus unsustainable. This occurs at some HR below max.
A person's VO2max is a measure of the total amount of oxygen a person
can process in a given period. This generally happens at max HR.
It is usual that elite athletes and other well trained people have an
LT (in terms of HR and VO2) that is as high as 90% of their max HR and
VO2max. Untrained people are much lower. I am an avid hobby cyclist
similar in condition to many others here on wreck.bikes, and my LT is
at about 80% of max. This indicates that my heart and lungs have
additional unused capacity when I am exercising at LT. So when cycling,
it is the muscles doing the work that are the weak link. They are
unable to process more oxygen and to do more work they must go
anaerobic. All that makes sense, but why are elite athletes at 90% of
max when that happens and hobbyists are at 80% and untrained folks are
at 60%?
For a different discipline like skiing, it would be at some other
percentage, and this is because more and different muscles are
involved.
So I started thinking about how perhaps LT while cycling is limited by
the effective use of muscles. I can produce about 300W at LT. My
pedaling technique is I suppose normal, and I guess about 90% of the
work is done by my quads. My quads are unable to do more work because
they cannot process more oxygen, though my heart is ready to supply
more if asked. So what if I were able to reduce the work done by my
quads and increase the work done by other muscles like calves,
buttocks, etc. I suppose that as a whole, they would be able to do much
more work than my quads alone, and would be able to process more oxygen
which my heart is ready to deliver. Now by means of magic I have raised
my LT. Or does it not work that way? Is the total bloodflow to the legs
the limiting factor or some other thing?
Is the 90% of VO2max LT of elite riders due to them pedaling circles
efficiently, while hacks like me pedal squares? How much is due to
spreading the load from efficient technique, and how much is from their
muscles being able to process more oxygen? And how is it that their
muscles can process more oxygen?
So, is it possible to raise LT by altering/improving pedaling
technique?
Joseph
I have been thinking about ways to improve my LT, and this has raised a
few questions.
LT varies by disipline. Rowing, skating, sking, cycling, etc. LT is
defined as the maximum level of exertion attainable such that blood
lactate levels are able (though elevated) to remain constant. Higher
levels of exertion result in ever increasing levels of lactate, and are
thus unsustainable. This occurs at some HR below max.
A person's VO2max is a measure of the total amount of oxygen a person
can process in a given period. This generally happens at max HR.
It is usual that elite athletes and other well trained people have an
LT (in terms of HR and VO2) that is as high as 90% of their max HR and
VO2max. Untrained people are much lower. I am an avid hobby cyclist
similar in condition to many others here on wreck.bikes, and my LT is
at about 80% of max. This indicates that my heart and lungs have
additional unused capacity when I am exercising at LT. So when cycling,
it is the muscles doing the work that are the weak link. They are
unable to process more oxygen and to do more work they must go
anaerobic. All that makes sense, but why are elite athletes at 90% of
max when that happens and hobbyists are at 80% and untrained folks are
at 60%?
For a different discipline like skiing, it would be at some other
percentage, and this is because more and different muscles are
involved.
So I started thinking about how perhaps LT while cycling is limited by
the effective use of muscles. I can produce about 300W at LT. My
pedaling technique is I suppose normal, and I guess about 90% of the
work is done by my quads. My quads are unable to do more work because
they cannot process more oxygen, though my heart is ready to supply
more if asked. So what if I were able to reduce the work done by my
quads and increase the work done by other muscles like calves,
buttocks, etc. I suppose that as a whole, they would be able to do much
more work than my quads alone, and would be able to process more oxygen
which my heart is ready to deliver. Now by means of magic I have raised
my LT. Or does it not work that way? Is the total bloodflow to the legs
the limiting factor or some other thing?
Is the 90% of VO2max LT of elite riders due to them pedaling circles
efficiently, while hacks like me pedal squares? How much is due to
spreading the load from efficient technique, and how much is from their
muscles being able to process more oxygen? And how is it that their
muscles can process more oxygen?
So, is it possible to raise LT by altering/improving pedaling
technique?
Joseph