Late Availability - Cycling Fitness Assessment !!!

York St John University 

PHYSIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

  

BASELINE MEASURES – JUNE 2010

 

Fitness Test Results Summary

TABLE 1:  Overview of critical fitness test scores

Parameter	Score
VO2max (ml.kg-1.min-1)	54.9
LT2:     Power Output (W)             Heart Rate (b.min-1)             %VO2max @ Threshold	210 153 64.9
Peak Power Output (W)	360

Physiological Characteristics

TABLE 2:  Physiological Characteristics

Stature (cm)	Body Mass (kg)	Resting Blood Pressure (mmHg)
183.5	90.7	132 / 83

The resting blood pressure measurement was slightly higher than the normal 120/80, however it cannot be considered a ‘true’ resting value.

  

Fitness Assessment Results

Endurance Fitness

In order to develop a full picture of your endurance trained state it is important to consider your:

• Aerobic Capacity (VO_2max)
• Lactate Threshold
• Cycling Economy

Aerobic Capacity

The preferred way of creating energy by the body is through the breakdown of substances using oxygen.  As work increases the amount of energy we need increases and therefore oxygen use increases.  This supply of oxygen by our systems eventually reaches a peak called VO_2max.

The higher this peak the more energy we can create and therefore the more work we can potentially do, but also the better our recovery from more intense bouts.  Therefore a high VO_2max is important to produce a high power outputs at high intensity and also recover more quickly after an intense bout.

TABLE 3:        Maximum Oxygen Uptake and Work Rate at Maximum Oxygen Uptake

Relative (ml.kg-1.min-1)	Cycling Work at (W)
54.9	360

This value can vary a great deal in the population from 30-80 ml.kg^-1.min^-1 depending on gender, age, trained status.  Your score is above average for your age and is indicative of a trained endurance athlete.  A norm score for an Australian elite senior male, track endurance rider in 1995 was 79.3 ml.kg^-1.min^-1 and this occurred at 453W.  You can expect improvements of up to 10% as a result of an endurance training programme.

Lactate Threshold

There comes a point in exercise where the supply of energy by oxygen cannot keep pace with the intensity of exercise we want to do.  Therefore our body uses other ways to create energy.  Anaerobic process are used which results in an accumulation of lactic acid.  Two thresholds are identified as a result of this lactate production:

• LT1 point at which blood lactate first increases above resting levels
• LT2/OBLA the point at which there is an upward turn in the lactate curve or where blood lactate exceeds 4mmol.l^-1 due to accumulation of blood lactate

At these intensities the body cannot continue indefinitely therefore the higher LT2 the more work we can do for longer.  Therefore if you improve your LT2 it means you could ride at the same speed as before, but place less physiological stress on the body or ride faster than before under the same physiological condition.

Heart rate provides an easy measurement for monitoring the intensity you are riding at in relation your lactate threshold.  These are used to create the HR training zones identified later in the report.  For you the two LT points occur at:

Heart rate at LT1         135 b.min^-1

Heart rate at LT2         153 b.min^-1

Even better you could gauge work rate (W) during your training.  This is unusual for an amateur athlete to be able to do and calibration is important between the bike you did the test on and your training device.  The work rates your thresholds occurred at were:

Work rate at LT1         150W

Work rate at LT2         210 W

The most important aspect of lactate threshold is the % of your VO_2max at which it occurs as this is the best indicator of endurance trained state (Figure 2).  This identifies the proportion of your maximal aerobic power you can produce without negative physiological consequences.  For trained athletes LT2 is normally between 70 and 95% of VO_2max.  Yours occurred at 64.9% of VO_2max and is illustrated in the graph below.  This is a key area for improvement for you as your VO_2max itself is already fairly high.

Cycling Economy

This is the oxygen cost / energy cost of riding at a given intensity for 6 minutes.  This was not measured under ideal conditions but it can be predicted.  This can be compared on your next visit and should be reduced.  This would indicate that your muscles are more efficient in converting chemical energy (food) into mechanical energy (pedal stroke power).

Speed / Work Rate	Oxygen Cost / Energy Expenditure
180W	2.82 l.min-1

Training Recommendations

Training Zone Rides

Base Zone                  Steady Ride

                                    @ 150-180W at a heart rate of 135-145 b.min^-1

                                    >60min

Threshold Zone         Tempo Ride

                                    @ 210-240W at a heart rate of 153-161 b.min^-1

                                    10 min lower end, 2 min higher end, 30-60 min

High Intensity Training (HIT) Sessions

                              Six to nine 5min bouts @ 80% PPO (86% VO_2max)

                              This equates to intervals at 172-175 b.min^-1 or 290-300W

                              1 minute rest between bouts at about 100W