Alternate methods to boost Competitive endurance cyclists performance (VO2max)

Now, new research carried out at Odense University in Denmark demonstrates that some very simple, moderately intense training sessions will do the job.

In the Danish study, eight cyclists rode their exercise cycles at an intensity of 80-90% V02max (88-95 per cent of maximal heart rate, 260-300 Watts) for 30 minutes per workout, three times per week. Eight other athletes performed interval workouts, which consisted of 10 seconds of all-out exertion at a stratospheric intensity of 880-1025 Watts, alternated with 50 seconds of rest. In the latter case, there were 20 work intervals per training session and three workouts per week.

After just five weeks, the athletes who had ridden steadily at 80-90% V02max for 30 minutes per work-out achieved an extremely useful 6-per cent increase in V02max, from 53 to 56 ml/kg/min, while the interval group failed to bolster V02max. This was true even though the interval group had consumed about twice as much total energy per workout.

The interval group did gain one advantage over the continuous exercisers, however; they were better at doing interval workouts! During a test completed at the end of the five-week study, the interval exercisers were able to carry out 26 intervals at a high power output, while the continuous people could only manage 12. Of course, the interval athletes possessed higher 'anaerobic' capacities, as well.

The Danish study is especially interesting because it reinforces the notion that a fairly modest training session - 30 minutes at 80-90% V02max - can be a potent evoker of improved aerobic capacity in a fairly short period of time. It also reminds endurance athletes that super-high intensities and fast-tilt interval sessions aren't always necessary to bolster V02max; in fact, if the intensity is very high and the interval is fairly short, such efforts may not raise aerobic capability at all.

In addition to the '30 minutes at 80-90% V02max' session, another workout is a proven V02max-booster: exercising for five-minute intervals at the maximum intensity which you could sustain in a race for 15-20 minutes. As your V02max goes up, your basic endurance will also increase, and your race times should improve significantly. ('Training Specificity In Relation to Intermittent Exercise Performance,' Biochemistry of Exercise Ninth International Conference Abstracts, #19, p. 18, 1994 )

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Exercise Tip

Want to know how many calories you are burning during your 30 minutes treadmill walking? Then all you have to do is visit your local exercise physiology laboratory and get evaluated for your metabolic functions amongst other things. By taking a sports performance stress test you can get a chart of exercise training zones based on heart rates expressed in beats per minute, and each heart rate zone corresponds to a certain energy expenditure in kcal/min. I.e. a test result has revealed that during exercise (running) at a pace of 135 bpm in a speed of 7km/h 0% gradient,  you burn 11 kcal/ min  thus if you were to exercise at this intensity for a duration of 30 minutes you would burn 11 x 30 = 330 kcal. And so forth….

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Aqua Jogging

Got knee, hips or ankle joint problems but still want to exercise? Try getting wet with aqua jogging, or the simple term running in the water. Running injuries, overuse syndromes or a rehabilitation training program can be accommodated in the water with proper progression in the exercise regimen. Deep-water running is a super, no-impact cross-training activity for anyone who wants to build or preserve leg strength, and simultaneously maintain fitness in the aerobic system. It is also recommended for top athletes as a different mode of exercise and a mental break from the everyday life same-old activities. Furthermore overweight and obese individuals are highly recommended to use the water element in order to build their fitness and manage their weight.

Aqua-jogging requires little (if any) swimming skill. Most people who might be uncomfortable in the pool can either jog in waist-deep water or invest in a flotation vest (a vest is also recommended for those athletes whose buoyancy may be bad due to high body density / low fat %). If the aqua vest is not used then maintaining buoyancy in lean exercisers might be extra hard and even burn more kcal due to the high rate of exertion.

Performed steadily and with a good intensity and effort and you will probably boost fitness significantly from Aqua-jogging. In a study researchers found that maximal oxygen consumption, lower extremity concentric muscular strength, and endurance in well-trained male runners remained unchanged during a three-week deep-water training program ("Effect of Water Running and Cycling on Maximum Oxygen Consumption and 2-Mile Run Performance," The American Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 21(1), pp. 41-44, 1993).

-------------------------------------------------------Busy but with medium current fitness status? You can still use the gym in a modified and quicker way. Try big “value for money” exercises or exercises that utilize a lot of muscle groups at the same time such as the lunge and cable row, or the low back hyperextension with dumbbell rowing, or the ball push-up with knee tucks.

Again the usual problem with time? Only 45 min of actual training time? Try circuit training, the two in one fitness program. Exercise aerobically and strengthen the heart with 4-6 min  then hit 4-6 different strength training exercises with medium to easy intensity and then hit the aerobic component for another 5-6 min and then repeat with 5-6 different exercises for strengthening other muscles and bones. Constantly on the go and reaping the benefits of strength and cardiovascular fitness.