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>At 01:03 PM 3/22/98 -0500, Dan Volker wrote: > >>The VO2 max test will require an ergometer ( standing bike with wattage >>output meter) , since it is the most universally available tool to test VO2 >>max with, it more closely approximates the cardiovascular and muscular >>demands of swimming with fins on, and because if we want to do chamber >>simulations, the ergometer will be the easiest to use in the chamber . > >Aha. Makes sense to me. Just out of curiosity, how or where does lactate >threshold fit into your in-gassing/offgassing model? I could see a person with a high lactate threshold having the ability to train themselves to the point of having a superior cardiovascular system to an evil twin who had a low lactate threshold----and to a good degree, you can modify your lactate threshold with interval training, so this is relevant. Back in the >mid-1970's, researchers discovered that Frank Shorter had a relatively low >VO2 max, but an extremely high LT, causing a few to begin questioning >whether VO2 max was as important to long-distance runners as previously >thought. I think the answer here was that some athletes exhibit more tolerance to high lactate levels than others. This contributes to their success in certain sports. Speedskating is an example of a sport where lactate levels can build to over three times the level it is normally produced in anaerobic threshold level exertion ( although this 3x figure was only in the last moments of a race, and immediatley following it). I think you would find Jansen's book would very interesting. It's taken a while but from my unscientific sampling of the >research over the last few years, it seems that more and more exercise >physiologists are coming down in favor of a high LT being more important. >Kenyan runners would seem a good example of this. I haven't seen any >numbers comparing their VO2 maxes to their LTs, but I have seen their >workout schedules and they're clearly designed to emphasize LT over VO2 max .. > Jerry, Actually, most cyclists and skaters I know who like to use exercise physiology for a competitive advantage, use Dr. Peter Jansen's book on Training Lactate Pulse Rate. Lactate levels, based on Jansen's studies, correlate perfectly with heart rates, but vary by sport....He created a heart rate, lactate table for cyclists, and a completely separate one for runners. It seems some sports are more lactate producing than others, so the tables remove this bias. His training principles in a nutshell, is to train in your aerobic zone, as defined by lacate levels 2 to 3 mM, up to your anaerobic threshold which would be 4 mM --- he has you doing about 60% of your workouts around the 2mM heart rates, and about 10% at your anaerobic threshold--4mM. As to your points about VO2 max and lactate levels, I have seen constant correlations between heart rate and lactate within the same sport, and the physiologists continue to use VO2mx as the indicator of fitness levels----the lactate level is the daily/weekly training tool, the VO2 max values are early season, mid season, peak season. >Now, as you correctly pointed out, cycling better mimics swimming with fins >than does running. But since it would seem that lactate build-up is even >more important in cycling than running (correct me if I'm wrong about this: >as a non-cyclist it just looks that way to me), is VO2 max vs. LT a question >being raised in cycling circles (no pun intended)? You are right, we use lactate levels, which are assumed by heart rate levels which we take from Jansen's chart for cyclists. In advanced cycling camps, lactate measurements are also taken on occaision, for extra corroboration. If it isn't, I'd be >curious to know why not. If it is, wouldn't it also need to figured into >your diving model due to its similarity to fin swimming? Good question. The reason why not, is that lactate is a predictor of anaerobic metabolism occuring, and what percentage of the total power output anaerobic is contributing to. And it is possible to create huge lactate levels without a hugely powerful aerobic system---as in a weightlifter doing a 100 reps of 200 pounds....he may not have a well developed aerobic system, but his anaerobic system is well tuned. While this will have cardio vascular implications, it has not shown as much relationship as as VO2max has in reflecting critical changes in the cardiovascular system, and neovascularization of primary muscle tissue. Also, when we are deep diving, we should NEVER be producing significant lactate levels---exertion rates which cause anaerobic metabolism at 250 or 300 feet could have castastrophic results. The highest pace any of us should ever achieve at great depth would be mildly aerobic, and even this would be only an emergency type response. However, for the tech and cave divers who are interested in training for fitness, I think your suggestion to use lactate level training is excellent. I'll look for my copy of Jansen's book, and post some exerpts from it on heart rate / lactate level training. Regards, Dan -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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