A distinctive perspective on cycling training. VO2max training: the one and only! Or what do you think?
Before you worry about the title, please read on to the end.
With the advent of the power meter, the realization grew in cycling that data is important. It was the signal—not least under the influence of marketers—to measure everything that could possibly be measured. How else could one explain the “superhuman performances” of Pogacar and a handful of other super talents? After all, to measure is to know, right? The result is predictable: an abundance of data that quickly left the coach unable to see the forest for the trees, so that data analysts—with little or no knowledge of exercise physiology—had to provide a solution using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
May I just say this? Measuring is NOT knowing, and seeking relationships based on erroneous or irrelevant data leads to erroneous decisions and chaos. I will not deny that top-level performance lies in the small details, but let us, mere mortals, return for a moment to the basics of training theory. Do not forget that what is currently taking place in cycling training methodology is actually a “normalization” of what has been going wrong for years, and above all, do not let us be misled by the big business behind this. It is not the case that performance improvement for the average cyclist is only possible through all-encompassing training platforms, expensive wearables, nutritional supplements or mysterious algorithms.
So let us keep it simple. To perform physical exertion, the body has two systems at its disposal: aerobic (most important for road cycling) and anaerobic (often underestimated) metabolism. However, both are inextricably linked, because if oxygen supply works less efficiently at certain moments, or if it has reached its maximum contribution (VO2max) to the effort, the anaerobic system steps in to support the aerobic system. SUPPORT! The degree of support depends on the intensity of the effort, but a performance can never be purely anaerobic.
Furthermore, under normal circumstances, the body also has access to two energy sources: fats and carbohydrates.
Using body fat as an energy source has the advantage that this source is virtually inexhaustible. The disadvantage is that this form of energy supply is “slow,” meaning that as intensity increases, fat burning can no longer provide the necessary energy.
What else is important to know? Firstly, the fact that, even when fat burning is running at full speed, sugars also contribute to the energy supply. Secondly, fat burning is a process that requires oxygen, meaning fats cannot be processed in the anaerobic system.Consequently, carbohydrates are part of the energy supply at all times, but due to their limited storage and intake capacity, they may become a limiting factor in endurance activities over time.
Although lactate constitutes an additional energy source, acidification will occur as a result of the H+ ions also released, which will further limit the effort.
Simply put, a rider therefore possesses 4 “building blocks for delivering a physical endurance performance” that he can or must use, depending on the race situation, to achieve his maximum performance.
In this regard, we must ask ourselves 2 questions:
“What is the physiological profile of that rider?” In other words: at what intensity will and to what extent can a particular athlete use those 4 building blocks?
“What methods are available to develop those 4 building blocks to the maximum?”
The answer is quite simple.
o For determining the individual physiological profile, a simple yet highly effective analysis method based on the Extended Critical Power concept, the brainchild of Prof. C. Dauwe, suffices.
o For developing these building blocks, VO2max training is indeed “the one and only”. No, not the VO2max training currently touted in all training schedules, which requires completing intervals at at least 90% of VO2max, but rather
ALL training, from easy endurance training to the most intensive interval training.
With the possible exception of very short, maximally explosive efforts – all conceivable training contributes to the development of maximum oxygen uptake capacity. The difference between the hyped “VO2max training” and the training sessions we are referring to lies in
the ability to incorporate the aforementioned cornerstones into the equation:
do we want to place additional emphasis on aerobic fat burning, aerobic sugar burning, or anaerobic metabolism? Yes, anaerobic metabolism can also be stimulated during training that encourages aerobic metabolism, because even during efforts with an intensity lower than VO2max, an anaerobic contribution may be necessary. That anaerobic system will be heavily stressed once the power rises above the value triggered by VO2max. At this PVO2max, oxygen delivery can naturally no longer increase, and consequently, all extra power must come from the anaerobic system, meaning that the effort will have to be stopped within a few minutes. As previously mentioned, very heavy efforts are never purely anaerobic but place maximum stress on both the anaerobic and aerobic systems.
The ratio in which low, medium, and high intensities should be positioned within the range of training aimed at promoting maximum oxygen uptake capacity—the Training Intensity Distribution—to achieve maximum effect is, of course, another matter.
The tools available to the coach/cyclist for this purpose are described in detail on other pages of this site and can be accessed via https://www.sportim.be/membership-request