Zones
As a place to start with training, Athletica needs to learn some things about you. We all have different exercise abilities, and we are all made up a little differently. Some of us have different muscle types to enable good sprinting vs. endurance characteristics, some have different size hearts that advantage their endurance, different combinations of both, and all of us come with different ages, genders and training backgrounds. To make training appropriate for you, we need to find out where your abilities lie, and how your physiology works to enable those abilities. Herein begins the rationale for determining your exercise training zones. These zones, or your training intensity/duration bandwidth, will help to guide you in the training sessions Athletica prescribes.
Figure 1 depicts the spectrum of exercise training zones, experienced exercise intensities, as well as the typical training formats performed, and physiological response targets so that you understand the session aims. The key physiological transition points between zones include the first ventilatory threshold (maximal aerobic function; Z 2/3), the second ventilatory threshold (Z 4/5), maximal oxygen uptake (Z 5/6).
Figure 1. Training zones used in Athletica, reference intensity landmarks, typical training formats used, effective time in zone, and percent of maximal heart rate.
ASR: anaerobic speed reserve; APR: anaerobic power reserve; MLSS: maximal lactate steady state; MSS: maximal sprinting speed; RST: repeated sprint training.;SIT: sprint interval training; (VO2max: maximal oxygen uptake; vO2max: minimal running speed required to elicit VO2max, V∆50: speed halfway between VO2max and MLSS; Vcrit: critical velocity; VIFT: peak speed reached at the end of the 30-15 intermittent fitness test; VIncTest: peak incremental test speed; FTP: functional threshold power; CSS: critical swim speed; MAF: maximal aerobic function; VT1: first ventilatory threshold, VT2: second ventilatory threshold, LT: lactate threshold, HIIT: high-intensity interval training; HR: heart rate;
The first ventilatory threshold (VT1)
The first ventilatory threshold (VT1) is the transition point between easy steady exercise and moderate intensity exercise. Simply put, this is your “exercise all day pace”. This exercise intensity is associated with high rates of fat oxidation and low levels of sympathetic stress. In the laboratory, VT1 is technically detected as the first rise in your breathing ventilation relative to the volume of oxygen consumed. The VT1 corresponds with your lactate threshold (LT) measured in the laboratory, defined as a 1 mmol/L rise in blood lactate above baseline. This measure of exercise intensity is important because it is indicative of the transition point between zone 2 and zone 3.
Maximal aerobic function (MAF)
Maximal aerobic function (MAF) is a field-based estimate of your VT1, pioneered more than 40 years ago by Dr Phillip Maffetone. MAF is defined as the exercise intensity associated with high rates of fat oxidation and low levels of sympathetic stress. Specific instructions for estimating your MAF HR are provided within Athletica, and for more detailed information, the reader is referred to the following paper.
Second ventilatory threshold (VT2)
Your second ventilatory threshold (VT2) is the theoretical transition point between zone 3 and 4. Traditionally, this point has been termed the ‘anaerobic threshold’, as well as the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS). The corresponding intensity is often associated with the critical intensity, i.e. a point that represents a semi-sustainable high-intensity exercise ability for periods between 30 min and 1 hour. While precise measurement of VT2 is only available in the laboratory setting, we can make inferences and estimations of this point using your training data (power, speed, heart rate) across various durations. At time of writing, we determine your cycling VT2 using a traditional functional threshold power (FTP) test, whereby you perform a 20 min cycling time trial and the average power output attained in that 20 min is used to estimate your VT2. Similarly, your running VT2 is determined using your time to complete a 5 km running time trial (Jack Daniels Vdot method). For both tests, we take your average heart rate in the last 10 min of the test to estimate the heart rate associated with your VT2.
Critical Swim Speed (CSS)
Critical swim speed (CSS) refers to the speed associated with your VT2 for swimming. We determine this using two all out time trials of 50m and 400m, completed during the course of a regular swim training session. As with VT2, we use the CSS to calibrate many of the swim training sessions within Athletica. That is, many of the sessions are individualized to be completed at this swim pace, followed by varying periods of recovery to elicit the required response. Additionally, we use this marker to estimate the swim training load, as we do with your VT2 for bike and run.
Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2max)
VO2max, or maximal oxygen uptake, refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can use during intense or maximal exercise. This measurement is generally considered one of the best indicators of cardiovascular fitness and endurance performance, as the more oxygen a person can use during high-intensity exercise, the more energy a person can produce ‘aerobically’.
Anaerobic Speed / Power Reserve
In runners, the anaerobic speed reserve (ASR) is typically defined as the difference between maximal sprinting speed (MSS) and running speed at VO2max. In cyclists, the anaerobic power reserve (APR) is defined as the difference between maximal sprint power output and power output at VO2max. Notwithstanding the important contribution of the neuromuscular system, the ASR/APR range may broadly reflect a combination of both maximal aerobic and anaerobic energetic capacities. Traditionally, this upper range is less appreciated. However more recent data suggests it may be of great use to individualize exercise intensity of (supramaximal) HIIT.
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