I Got My Running VO2Max Measured

This is cool! I got my VO2Max, max heart rate and anaerobic
threshold
measured today by a
professional.

VO2Max is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen per kg/min
that your
body can use. While theories
abound as to the implications of such a number, the reality is
that it's
a decent indicator of aerobic
capacity. Plus, the ladies love the VO2Max.

The test was administered by Jackie Speranza of Metabolic
Fitness (770-
351-0637). She put me on a
treadmill and hooked me up to a device that measured the
amount of
oxygen going into and coming out of
my lungs. The device was strapped onto my head and forced me
to breathe
through a mouthpiece similar to
an inverted outwardly pointed snorkel (I'll get some pics next
time). I
was also hooked up to a heart
rate monitor. The breathing device was annoying at best.
Being a visual learner, I was thrown by fact that it sat a
little
crookedly on my head. It threw
off my balance. Not that it affected my score. It just took
some time
to get used to.

Jackie's goal was to make me hurt. And make me hurt she did.
She
started with a nice easy pace and then
slowly increased the pace
and incline over a ten minute period.

I broke down with a heart rate of 188 at a pace of 10.2 on a
moderate
incline. She assures me that I could have gone further and
I'm more
than happy to let her have that
illusion... but I was wasted. Everything hurt and I was
unable to
maintain basic balance. I haven't
done intervals in years... since high school soccer practice.

And my magic numbers:

VO2Max: 60.3 mL/kg/min

Max heart rate: 188 bpm

Anaerobic Threshold: 46 mL/kg/min

Zone 1: 148-162 - Active recovery.

Zone 2: 162-179 - Aerobic endurance.

Zone 3: 179-183 - High intensity strength.

Zone 4: 180-188 - Interval speed work.

Not bad. Not great. This VO2Max number is 75% genetics and
25% training. So
thanks Mom and Dad...
jeeze... you couldn't kick in a few extra mL/kg/min could
ya'... where'd
you get me... K-Mart on blue
light special...
did you get a free toaster with me... c'mon... you make me
tall and
goofy looking... and then you don't
throw in enough VO2Max so I can get
away from the
school bullies a'la Prefontaine... good for nothing parents.

Kidding. I love you Mom and Dad. I can improve by training.
Jackie
predicts a 10% increase but
acknowledges that
there's little scientific to base that on. Elite athletes
have been
known to increase 60% via
training. Some
people don't improve much at all. Whatever
the outcome I can blame my parents for 75% of it. What other
life
metric lets you off the hook so
easily?

For reference, here are some other VO2Max numbers of famous
runners,
cyclists, athletes:

General Population, Female, Aged 20-29: 35-43 ml/kg/min

General Population, Male, Aged 20-29: 44-51

US College Track, Male: 57.4

College Students, Male: 44.6

Highest Recorded Female (Cross-Country Skier): 74

Highest Recorded Male (Cross-Country Skier): 94

Steve Prefontaine,US runner, 84.4

Frank Shorter, US Olympic Marathon winner, 71.3

Grete Waitz, Norwegian Marathon/10K runner, 73.5

Ingrid Kristiansen, ex-Marathon World Record Holder, 71.2

Derek Clayton, Australian ex-Marathon World Record holder,
69.7

Rosa Mota, Marathon runner, 67.2

Jeff Galloway, US Runner, 73.0

Paula Ivan, Russian Olympic 1500M Record Holder, 71.0

Jarmila Krotochvilova,Czech Olympian 400M/800M winner,
72.8

Greg LeMond, professional cyclist, 92.5

Matt Carpenter, Pikes Peak marathon course record holder,
92

Miguel Indurain, professional cyclist, 88

Lance Armstrong, professional cyclist, 83.7

The second cool thing that I learned is my lactate or
anaerobic
threshold. This is the point at which
my body isn't
able to service my biomechanical needs purely via aerobic
energy
production. Remember those ATP
breakdown stairways from high school bio class? It's much
more
efficient to break down fuel using
oxygen (something like 45 energy units per transaction vs. 20
units) but
there's a point at which the
body can't use any more oxygen. This is the lactate
threshold.
It's called the lactate threshold because one of the
byproducts of
anaerobic energy production is lactic
acid. Lactic acid is what makes your muscles burn during a
workout.

Again, theories abound as to why we have a lactate threshold.
For years
the theory has been that the
body didn't have enough oxygen and/or glycogen to continue
with aerobic
energy production. But studies
have shown that at the threshold there is still enough of both
in the
muscles. It *seems* that
something else *may* be causing this limit.

Personally (and I must state my complete lack of qualification
to enter
such an opinion to the record,
but, hey, a pesky detail like that rarely stops me in other
areas) I
like the notion that the brain
stops recruiting muscles in an attempt at self preservation.
The idea
goes like this: the brain needs
oxygen and energy to survive. If you don't believe me, slap
some duct
tape on your mouth and nose and
email me the results. If the brain allows us to chase a nice
meal all
over town for prolonged periods
of time it risks
allowing itself to die... the legs and arms will use up all
of the
oxygen and glycogen. So the brain
is smart. At a certain point it decides to stop recruiting
muscles and injects the element of pain to signal to the body
that it
should stop. This is called the
Central Governor Model and I like the notion that it a) fits
currently
observed data, b) makes sense
from an evolutionary perspective and c) adheres to a romantic
intellectual notion that the brain is the
center of the universe.

Debate of models for scientific exactness, while as exciting
as a Friday
night chess tournament at the
physics club, isn't as important as the application of said
model. You
can gain training effectiveness
from most any model so long as you understand that model's
limitations
and strengths. Think of this like
you think of quantum physics vs. Newtonian physics. Newtonian
works
fine for billiard balls but isn't
suited for atoms. And vice versa.

Here's the kicker: your anaerobic threshold is largely
determined by
training. So I need to get of my
ass and train! I like having one of these numbers that
gauges my
training effort.

Once you have your max heart rate and lactate threshold you
can more
expertly create workout zones for
yourself. I have to admit that I've been flying blind when it
comes to
my workout zones. So this was
my major takeaway from the day.

I'm going to have the same test done next week while riding
the bike.
Jackie doesn't expect my numbers
to be as high... but I'll show her... I'll have a coronary
*and* a
stroke this time... I may even be
willing to lose a lung... kidding. Cycling
utilizes a smaller percentage of body muscle and isn't a load-
bearing
activity. Remember my "Awful Bike
Workout" from a couple Wednesdays ago? Turns out it wasn't
that
awful... I'm just a moron.

The cost for this test is $99 but you get a discount on two
tests when
you do the run and bike tests.
It's $170 for both. Go ahead... you know you want to whup my
VO2Max
number.

WahoO! This was fun! For a techno geek like me this is the
perfect
marriage of data and adrenaline!