My notes/transcription below:
Coach Chad VO2max Deep Dive, Part 1
Podcast 189
- VO2max definition discussion starts at 13:59, this is basically a rehash of info on blog: VO2 Max Training for Cyclists: How to Improve VO2 Max for Cyclists & Get Faster - TrainerRoad Blog
Training implications discussion starts at 29:30s
- estimate: final steps of a ramp test
- estimate: 5-min best effort, from a recent race efforts where you went really hard
- Power-VO2max (5-min or from ramp)
- Fractional Utilization, ftp/vo2max
- Frac Util ceiling is 90% is the ceiling where you hold 90% of VO2max power in steady state. Most of us fall in 78-85%
- for instance you can do 300W 5-min vo2max effort, at a higher 85% fractional utilization puts your ftp at 255W
- But what if you have 230W ftp? Shift to doing ftp growth via sweet spot, threshold, over/unders
- But what if you are at 280W ftp? Then you need to do more vo2max work, either higher power, or more time at vo2max
- difference between power at VO2max, and time at VO2max, will save discussion for future podcast
Coach Chad VO2max Deep Dive, Part 2
Podcast 191
starts at 43:19
- time at VO2max versus VO2max power
- power at VO2max is duration specific, there is no specific “power at VO2max”
- you can achieve vo2max at 102% of ftp, it will just take you longer than at 125% ftp
- there is no single VO2max power
- thing to understand, a term you’ve probably heard before, is “VO2 slow component”
- “VO2 slow component” says if you ride above ftp, eventually you will hit VO2max
- VO2 work is really subjective, this is why 2-3 min interval workouts at 120% don’t work for everyone, and we say it may not work for you and some people can work above 120%, some people below 120%
- not trying to hit a particular power
- want to accumulate time at really high oxygen uptake
- really stress aerobic energy system
- want to accumulate time, not a specific power
- for this reason, there are a whole bunch of different workouts that focus on time (not power)
- warmups getting reshaped to
- lift uptake rate, and keep it there
- peak and fades are good for that, start at 120% and decline to 110% (e.g. Mills)
- you may think “I’m not at my proper power, this is not an effective workout” but it is because uptake is really high
- peak and fades reduce the power so you can spend more time
- short intervals are the same, trying to accumulate time at high oxygen uptake
- breathing and heart rate stay ramped up
- with vo2max work, the bailouts are almost always 5-15 second back pedal breaks where breathing and heart rate don’t come down much, but it helps clear off acidic accumulation in muscle that is slowing you down
- avoid letting your breathing and heart rate come down
50:15
- vo2 kinetics: how quickly does your oxygen uptake respond to changes in effort?
- improves with training
- its why 30/30s become 30/20s and 30/10s
- again, its about time at vo2max, and not a particular power
- just because you can do more power, doesn’t mean its better
- more power isn’t always better
- the risk of more power is longer recovery
- more time is the goal
power vs capacity
- trajectory over base, build, specialty
- balance between power and capacity, or max power versus repeatability
- increase time at, instead of power
- base phase is familiarization, up to 2 minutes
- build phase is longer intervals, and more power
- specialty phase is about repeatability
Summary 59:40
- not about big power, its about a lot of time at a high work level