Metabolic Effitiwhatika…..
I had just finished the Sean O’Brien 50 mile race and my next
race isn’t until early August, Angeles Crest 100. This leaves me with 5 months
of training. With so much time in between I’ve decided that I was going to play
around with my training and try to improve my Metabolic Efficiency. I will not go
into detail assuming most of you heard what it is, but here are a couple podcast
links if you do not.
There are a couple tests that are recommended if you plan
to use the metabolic efficiency training. This first test is the blood lactate
test and the second test is the VO2 max test. The two test combined can give
you a better idea of how to train and why the metabolic training is a GOOD
idea. I set up an appointment with Gareth at Trio Labs in Brentwood (Los
Angeles), CA.
BLOOD! Lactate Test
Of course, the test is not as dramatic as the title from
what I experienced, but others may beg to differ.
From what I understand, lactate is a fuel source for the
muscles, but at some point the lactate builds too fast that the muscles cannot
use it fast enough. I was told to imagine a cup overflowing with water.
There are two methods to take a blood lactate test which
is the stationary bike or treadmill; I chose to use the treadmill. In this test
you start off slow and Gareth will slowly increase the speed. Every so often
Gareth will ask you to jump on to the sides of the treadmill and take a tiny
blood sample from one of your fingers with a blood lactate gadget. Gareth will
use the lactate levels and heart rate at specific speeds to plot the points on
a graph.
The blood lactate test is used to determine the different aerobic levels. Each level is a different training zone which helps to design a training schedule. A good example of a training schedule is the 80/20 Rule. I plan to train in zone 1 & 2 80 % of the time, leaving the remaining 20% to be used for zones 3 thru 5.
What it means to ME
The blood lactate test basically told me that at my
current aerobic level I should be training between 129 – 154 beats per minute
(bpm) which should be around, but not over a 7:48 pace. If you didn’t listen to
the links, in metabolic training we use the heart rate to determine stress
levels not how we feel during the run. This is the zone that will allow my body
to strengthen its aerobic base, which in turn will allow me to run a faster
pace in the same bpm zone.
I figure my training zones would look like this.
 |
| Data includes VO2 Information |
VO2 Max Test or the Test from HELL
The VO2 max test is used to measure the volume of oxygen
one can consume while performing at maximum capacity. Trio labs use this test
to determine what types of fuel is being consumed at any given speed. The goal
is to burn a high percentage of fat versus carbs for as long as possible. This
data in conjunction with the blood lactate data gives a refined direction of
what one would need to do for optimal training. The lactate test by itself is like a plain map,
however, when it is combined with the VO2 max test it turns into a shaded
topographic map.
Originally we knew that I should be training somewhere
between 129 – 154 bpm, but we can clearly see that my optimal training is at
145 bpm. This is where I use the most fats to carbs ratio and lactate levels
stay low. Using the 80/20 rule, I would be able to use this data to
significantly improve my body’s metabolic efficiency and performance.
Conclusion
Metabolic training is a great idea since it forces you to
build a 6 week base. After the 6 weeks you would start to incorporate the speed
training. This prevents a person from getting injured from training to hard too
soon after races.
In two months I plan to go back to Trio Labs to see what
kinds of improvements have been made.
I also plan to log my training data such as training days, meals, etc.., but I still need to figure out how to go about logging it all and how to represent it.
I also plan to log my training data such as training days, meals, etc.., but I still need to figure out how to go about logging it all and how to represent it.
Goals:
·
Lower lactate levels at each point.
o Move
the 1.1 under 1 mmol
o Lower
the 2.7 & 5.3 by correcting my running form at higher speeds.
·
Reduce my beats per minute at higher speeds.
·
Move the metabolic efficiency point (Fat and Carbs Intersect) towards the
right.
o Improve
the body’s ability to burn fat at higher speeds.
What I Need to DO:
·
LISTEN TO MY COACHES KATE & JIMMY D FREEMAN
·
Include more protein in my pre-training meals.
o I
will probably wake up early and make 2 eggs with buttered toast.
·
Reduce consumption of beer.
o NO
WAY am I stopping.
·
FOCUS…FOCUS...focus on training in Zone 1 for 6 – 8 weeks.
