TOOLBOX: VO2 priming, also referred to as pre-conditioning, is a coaching approach utilized in sports activities efficiency to optimize cardio capability and improve endurance. By participating in short, high-intensity train previous to the principle coaching session or competitors, athletes goal to stimulate physiological diversifications that enhance the physique’s skill to make the most of oxygen extra effectively throughout subsequent train.
In Could the flowers are in full bloom, every week is somewhat hotter than the final, & the Giro d’Italia confirms that spring season is in full swing. I hope your out of doors season is off to an awesome begin & that you just’re capable of begin racking up these out of doors miles!
On this month’s toolbox article, we can be discussing a coaching approach often called ‘VO2 Priming’.
VO2 priming entails brief bursts of intense effort adopted by a restoration interval, which serves to ‘prime’ the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, and muscle tissue. This system goals to raise oxygen uptake, improve metabolic responses, and enhance neurological readiness, in the end resulting in improved efficiency in endurance actions. Whereas VO2 priming is often employed by well-trained athletes, its protocols and integration into coaching applications needs to be tailor-made to particular person health ranges and coaching capacities for optimum outcomes.
Understanding VO2 Max and its Significance
We now have mentioned VO2max in Toolbox articles earlier than, but it surely by no means hurts to refresh. VO2max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is a measure of a person’s most capability to make the most of oxygen throughout intense train. It represents the very best price at which oxygen might be consumed and utilized by the physique’s muscle tissue throughout bodily exercise. VO2max is usually thought of a key indicator of cardio health and endurance efficiency.
Since VO2max represents a maximal price of oxygen course of over time, it may be expressed in absolute items (Liters/min). Nevertheless, it’s extra typically expressed as milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram of physique weight per minute (mL/kg/min). By normalizing oxygen uptake to every athletes’ physique weight, VO2max might be in contrast between athletes of various sizes.
VO2max displays the effectivity of every athlete’s cardiovascular system in extracting oxygen from the air & delivering it to working muscle. Whereas a lot of your VO2max is genetically decided, it can be educated, and is usually used as a helpful indicator of cardio health and endurance capability. Increased VO2max values typically correspond to improved cardiovascular health and the flexibility to maintain higher-intensity train for longer durations.
Exploring VO2 Priming
As we mentioned within the introduction, VO2 priming is a technique to optimize cardio effectivity. Sounds nice, however how does it work?
VO2 priming consists of heavy depth train previous to the principle coaching session. The priming work is assumed to speed up the VO2 response throughout subsequent train, thereby growing athlete’s time to exhaustion for efforts above FTP. These enhancements in efficiency are achieved with none change to the athlete’s Important Energy (analogous to their FTP). To summarize, VO2 priming helped athletes obtain a rise in time to exhaustion above FTP (e.g. how lengthy you would maintain 500 W would improve, regardless of no change to your FTP. Free beneficial properties!
The prompt mechanism behind VO2 priming remains to be below debate in the present day, however is taken into account primarily from the change in VO2 kinetics and a rise in VO2max. Put one other means, ‘priming’ helps your physique obtain larger charges of oxygen utilization extra shortly. Priming might also assist athletes obtain a better VO2max than when examined with none priming. When priming is supplied with sufficient restoration, these enhancements can all be achieved with out fatiguing your physique an excessive amount of for subsequent intervals.
For a extra detailed overview on the underlying mechanisms of VO2 priming, that are nonetheless below debate within the scientific neighborhood, I like to recommend studying the 2023 overview article linked on the backside of the article.
Implementing VO2 Priming Strategies
Given all of the claimed advantages of VO2 priming, how are you going to implement it as a part of your personal coaching? I’d prefer to shortly level out that VO2 priming is useful for performing work above your FTP. Due to this fact, priming can be simplest earlier than excessive depth classes, and comparatively pointless for low-intensity/endurance coaching classes, since these classes aren’t restricted by your VO2max.
Within the examine talked about above, the authors confirmed that solely 6 min of heavy train (roughly candy spot depth) adopted by a brief, 10 min restoration was efficient for VO2 priming. In addition they confirmed that extreme, or near-maximal, train was not efficient.
I like to recommend that you just experiment a bit to seek out what works the perfect for you. In my private expertise, I’ve discovered that including in a couple of brief (~30s), exhausting intervals at my 5 min energy helps me really feel extra ready for a tough interval session. Under is an instance of one in every of my favourite Xert exercises, which options an prolonged warmup with a couple of bursts (depicted within the yellow intervals) that helps prime me earlier than a set of 30-30’s till failure.
Since I’m lucky to dwell someplace with straight, comparatively quiet again roads, I typically prefer to experiment with numerous out of doors exercises. Nevertheless, with a view to attain the quiet again roads out of city, I have to climb up a steep hill – about 300 m lengthy at 7% grade, which takes 40-60s to climb. I’ve discovered {that a} tougher push up the hill, adopted by some restoration on the prime, helps my legs (and my thoughts) really feel extra ready for the intervals to comply with. Under is an instance of a dash exercise I did final week with a couple of min at candy spot adopted by a brief, 45 s push up the hill. After the exhausting push, I recovered for about 9 minutes earlier than beginning with my 30 s dash intervals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, VO2 priming generally is a helpful approach for athletes aiming to optimize their efficiency. By participating in high-intensity train previous to the principle coaching session, athletes can stimulate physiological diversifications that improve their VO2 max. The advantages of VO2 priming embody improved oxygen uptake and improve time to exhaustion. With cautious implementation, VO2 priming generally is a highly effective addition to your coaching and enable you to attain new ranges of efficiency. Think about incorporating VO2 priming into your coaching routine and expertise the potential advantages in your athletic pursuits.
That’s all for this month. Keep protected, trip quick, and I’ll see you subsequent time!
References
BURNLEY, MARK; DAVISON, GLEN; BAKER, JONATHAN ROBERT. Results of Priming Train on V˙O2 Kinetics and the Energy-Length Relationship. Medication & Science in Sports activities & Train 43(11):p 2171-2179, November 2011. | DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31821ff26d
Goulding RP, Burnley M, Wüst RCI. How Priming Train Impacts Oxygen Uptake Kinetics: From Underpinning Mechanisms to Endurance Efficiency. Sports activities Med. 2023 Could;53(5):959-976. doi: 10.1007/s40279-023-01832-1. Epub 2023 Apr 3. PMID: 37010782; PMCID: PMC10115720.
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