Triathlon and EPOC

We received reports on VO2 at rest from our athletes.  The testing was done 16 hours after the last regular practice.  The values were high, 404 ml/ min in one case, and 6.49 ml/kg/min in another case.  The first thing that came to my mind was to call Volkswagen for an explanation on the machine now that we know about the fraud with the software used to measure gases.  Of course, I did not call, but I still think that it could be related to the machine used to measure the VO2 at rest (red flag).  The athletes were training regularly, they were growing up accordingly because they were adolescents.  Their laboratory data was within normal limits, and they did not have illnesses or problems living at home.  Our second question after the machines measuring the gases, it was whether this is a case of EPOC (post-exercise oxygen consumption).  We reviewed the literature on EPOC.

The literature deals mainly with the effect and control of EPOC peripherally instead of centrally:

The direction of this research narrative on post-exercise recovery differs to the increasing emphasis on the complex interaction between both central and peripheral factors regulating exercise intensity during exercise performance. Given the role of the central nervous system (CNS) in motor-unit recruitment during exercise, it too may have an integral role in post-exercise recovery. Indeed, this hypothesis is indirectly supported by an apparent disconnect in time-course changes in physiological and biochemical markers resultant from exercise and the ensuing recovery of exercise performance.

Is recovery driven by central or peripheral factors? A role for the brain in recovery following intermittent-sprint exercise

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3909945/

http://etd.lib.msu.edu/islandora/object/etd%3A36/datastream/OBJ/view

EXCESS POST-EXERCISE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND SUBSTRATE UTILIZATION IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS

At the end, we found a Kenyan study that deals with respiratory parameters in elite runners:

http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/123456789/9014/Francis%20Mundia%20Mwangi.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

 Table 4.10: Resting values for respiratory variables (Mean ± SD) summarized by gender and combined/total; male (n = 10), female (n = 4), total (n = 14).

Respiratory Variable

Gender                                    Male            Female            Total

Resting tidal volume [L]          .55±.14    .38±.11         .50±.15

Resting breathing frequency

[br/min]                          21.64±4.40     20.78±2.94   21.39±3.94

Resting minute ventilation [L]

                                         8.57±1.61        5.88±1.64   7.80±2.00

Resting volume of oxygen consumption

[L/min]                              .29±.07              .18±.07         .26±.08

Resting volume of carbon dioxide

produced [L/min]               .25±.06            .15±.05         .22±.07

Resting respiratory exchange ratio

                                           .86±.08            .84±.04       .86±.066

Rate of oxygen consumption (relative to body

weight) at rest [ml/kg/min]

                                           5.30±1.10        3.84±1.41   4.89±1.33

The Kenyans’ values are more in accordance with our athletes.  Our athletes are younger but the values are higher compared to the Kenyan’s values.  Is the V02 of any value to measure training level?  Theoretically it could be a marker but needs to be standardized, what we see in well trained athletes is what counts and our findings are in that direction.  Is our empirical research enough to say that VO2 resting level is a good marker for quality of training?  It is enough for us that deal with performance.

Our findings are not related to EPOC but to a good quality training.  We are hoping to come up with an answer from Volkswagen to see how good it is VO2 as a marker for quality of training.  But we can say that taking into consideration our five athletes tested it is a good marker:

19-year-old                       male         VO2:  404          6.21 ml/kg/min

18-year-old                       male         VO2:  283          4.16 ml/kg/min

17-year-old                       male         VO2:  387          5.73 ml/kg/min

15-year-old                       female      VO2:  282          5.22 ml/kg/min

11-year-old                        female      VO2:  237          6.49 ml/kg/min

Our athletes have learned the same technique, so the VO2 is taken when they practice the same and use the same muscles.  Performance in triathlon is according to their resting VO2 shown above.  The 11-year-old is unique for her age; she can train with the 14-year-old girls and leads the swimming lane.

Triathlon and Running Economy

After the previous post, we looked into the economy of running from the point of view of a researcher and not of a coach.  Researchers continue to struggle with the ECONOMY OF RUNNING.  Variables are many and they are not considered as variables most of the time.  We have problems to have models to study economy of running because we are unable to see athletes; we just study theories instead of looking at athletes or plain and simple technique models.  Researchers translate technique in a simpler way, when technique encompasses multiple variables itself and it is impossible to break it down as it has been done by researchers.  It is like a word in a language that cannot be translated because of its multiple meanings.   Albert Einstein said it and started looking at the phenomenon instead of playing with the theories:

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

If, then, it is true that the axiomatic basis of theoretical physics cannot be extracted from experience but must be freely invented, can we ever hope to find the right way? I answer without hesitation that there is, in my opinion, a right way, and that we are capable of finding it. I hold it true that pure thought can grasp reality, as the ancients dreamed. (Albert Einstein, 1954)

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Albert-Einstein-Quotes.htm

Many confoundable variables are present when doing this kind of research and we end up with a laughable conclusion:

A spurious relationship is a perceived relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable that has been estimated incorrectly because the estimate fails to account for a confounding factor. The incorrect estimation suffers from omitted-variable bias.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confounding

As a human endeavor, scientists become politically involved and we end up seeing the confounding errors as real variables.   

Factors affecting the energy cost of level running at submaximal speed

Jean‑René Lacour · Muriel Bourdin

Eur J Appl Physiol DOI 10.1007/s00421-015-3115-y

The superiority of black African runners is presumably related to their leg architecture and better elastic energy storage and reuse…

The contrast between the large differences (about 20 %) in Cr between individuals and the small changes (7 % at the most) found in response to training must be underlined; they plead in favor of a major role of inherent factors. This interpretation is, however, challenged by the large improvement in Cr reported by the single long-term study of an outstanding female championship runner…

Among the factors accounting for differences in Cr between individuals, calcaneal tuberosity length seems to be of major importance, accounting for a very high percentage of running cost variance; this, however, was only recently described (Scholz et al. 2008)

Let’s think as a smart coach looking at champions and the competition we are dealing with.  Einstein would say: “I hold it true that pure thought can grasp reality, as the ancients dreamed. (Albert Einstein, 1954).”

Is the technique able to better elastic energy storage and reuse… using the Newtonian concept of a “bouncing ball, with the least vertical movement and maximum horizontal displacement,” as the article written this year says?  We do not need to be from Africa, we need a technique according to our advantage.  Please see our articles regarding running technique in this blog.

 28 juin 2013

Triathlon and Running Technique