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Physiological Training Concepts
VO2Max & Endurance Vs. Speed
By
Dr Grant Wilkinson D.C, B.Sc, M.Sc*
VO2Max:
Most coaches and athletes regularly hear of terms such as "VO2Max" and "Threshold Intensity" cast around training
circles but what is it, how do you develop it and is it of any relevance to our sport?
Put simply, a person's VO2 max is a measure of how fit their cardiovascular system is. It is a measure of one's capacity to get oxygen from the air to the muscles, where the oxygen is used to produce aerobic energy. This is important in surf life saving because with the exception of beach sprints and flags, all other events are aerobic in nature.
Several studies have shown that individuals with lower baseline VO2Max numbers exhibited significant improvements in VO2 Max even when exercise intensities were as low as 28 - 32 percent of their heart rate reserve.
Heart rate reserve (HRR) is an individual's maximum heart rate (MHR) minus their resting heart rate (RHR). For example, a maximum heart rate of 160, minus a resting pulse of 60 equals 100. Exercising at 28% of heart rate
reserve would put the target heart rate at 88 beats per minute (28% of 100, plus the resting heart rate of 60).
Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) = Max Heart Rate (MHR) - Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
To determine a rough estimate of athletes VO2 Max, get them to run as far as they can in six minutes around a track (be sure to perform this from a rested state). Regardless of an athletes discipline (i.e. ski paddler,
swimmer, boat rower) a six-minute run around a track is the simplest way to determine VO2Max as the distance covered can be easily calculated. Divide six by your distance, expressed as a percentage of a kilometre. For example,
if you cover 1.44kms in six minutes, six divided by 1.44 is 4.167, or 4.10 pace. If you cover 1.76km, six divided by 1.76 is 3.41, or 3.24 pace.
To improve your endurance performance, run intervals at that velocity for at least three minutes.
To help optimise athletes' VO2 Max, recovery should be for the same duration or time as the VO2Max effort. For example,
if an interval done at the VO2Max speed or intensity is three minutes, the recovery (a slow jog) should also be three minutes.
For a most of the recovery portion, the athletes heart rate will stay very high. Given the recovery time, they should be able to repeat the interval a number of times. Get the athlete to do as many as they can, maintaining the pace. Initially, the number of intervals will be smaller in number, but this should steadily increase over the duration of the winter and the pre-competition training phases.
Endurance Versus Speed:
There is an old saying that goes "To become fast you have to train fast." Although the volume of training is the most important
determinant for developing aerobic endurance, racing success depends to a large degree on the quality, or speed of training. Long slow runs, swims or paddles are done considerably slower than race pace. Such training fails to
develop the neurological patterns of muscle fibre recruitment that will be needed during races. Training for races requires a faster pace because which muscle fibres are used will differ according to speed. Athletes who only
train at speed slower than race pace will not train all of the muscle fibres for efficiency needed for competition.
For example, many ski paddlers in the past have done long slow paddles for most of the winter up until
Christmas when they begin to do shorter, more high intensity efforts.
This means that the muscles the paddler uses during the stroke are used to firing at that slower speed, as that is what they have done week in and week out throughout the winter. Coaches should implement high-speed and/or over-speed efforts throughout the winter or pre-competition period as this will help stimulate the neurological pathways and the athlete will learn how to become fast. Example of this are to get the athlete to do starts or short distance sprints. Other methods include getting athletes to do things such as chop chasing on a board, ski or boat, or downhill running for beach sprinters.
Of course, like any other component of a training program high-speed or over-speed efforts need to be properly incorporated into the overall training program to ensure the athlete develops all training components evenly
and effectively and help avoid any potential injuries.
For more information, email Dr Wilkinson at: wilko@surfelite.com.au
*Dr Grant Wilkinson is a dual world life saving
champion and is the current NSW Men's Open Ski Champion and is the author of the new SLSA Level 1 and Level 2 Coaching Manual. His coaching programs are available through SurfElite Coaching & Consultancy Services,
which currently provide detailed training programs to numerous clubs and individual athletes, and coaches throughout Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
References
§Anderson O. (2002). On the threshold of something big: How intensely must you train to obtain benefit? Running Research News, 18, 3: 1 - 4.
§Anderson O. (2002). The true effects of various workouts-and how to answer that key question-what do I do on Monday? Running Research News, 18, 5; 1 - 8.
§Costill D, Trappe S. (2002). Running-The Athlete Within. Traverse City, MI: Cooper Publishing Group.
§Swain D, Franklin B. (2002). VO2 Reserve and the minimal intensity for improving cardiorespiratory fitness, Medicine and Science in Sports
and Exercise, 34: 152 - 157.
