How fit am I?

pollys_bott

My employers brought in some bods from the local gym to do some fitness testing on us corporate cogs - I went and did it for a laugh as I've barely been out on my bike since the birth of my daughter nearly a year ago. Results as follows...

35 year old bloke who weighs 73kgs, is 1.77m tall, has a BMI of 23, estimated Vo2 max of 46.6, peak flow reading of 820 and resting heart rate of 57.

Recently I've done a few easy one hour / 12-15 mile rides towing my daughter around in a trailer - are these figures above a decent base for kicking on and increasing my rides in both length and intensity? Ideally I'd like to train towards doing something like the the White Rose Classic or Etape du Dales next summer - what would be the best course of action over the winter to build me up for this?

Cheers, Jez

idaviesmoore

Yes But how you plan your training regime from now on is probably more important than the figures you've quoted as they probably don't mean that much to you (I'm only guessing, forgive me if you know about VO2 etc)

fuzzynavel

idaviesmoore wrote:

Yes But how you plan your training regime from now on is probably more important than the figures you've quoted as they probably don't mean that much to you (I'm only guessing, forgive me if you know about VO2 etc)

The VO2 max results could be reasonable or terrible depending on the method and calculations used.
From memory there are a couple of different ways to do it and the results are interpreted in different ways.
VO2 max can be improved with exercise though.

pollys_bott

Well I know I'm not a total couch potato! I suppose what I'm doing is naively assuming that the type of cyclist who does these sportive-type events may have done some fitness testing and can look at my figures and say "good / bad / indifferent, you need to do x/y/z". Asking a bit much I guess :oops:

On a different note, what's the longest that people ride before they start using saddle creams? I used to ride up to a couple of hours 'cream-free' - should I be slapping a bit on when I get to this stage?

Thanks for any advice

pollys_bott

fuzzynavel wrote:

idaviesmoore wrote:

Yes But how you plan your training regime from now on is probably more important than the figures you've quoted as they probably don't mean that much to you (I'm only guessing, forgive me if you know about VO2 etc)

The VO2 max results could be reasonable or terrible depending on the method and calculations used.
From memory there are a couple of different ways to do it and the results are interpreted in different ways.
VO2 max can be improved with exercise though.

Well, it was measured on an exercise bike - the chap input height, weight and age and got me to pedal at 70rpm for five minutes on a certain level, and then that performance was measured against (allegedly) 100,000 other results to give me an estimated Vo2 figure. Probably about as accurate as your average weather forecast... I didn't know it could be measured like this, the only one I know of is thrashing your guts out whilst hooked up to some gas-mask type thing.

Bronzie

Pollys Bott wrote:

Ideally I'd like to train towards doing something like the the White Rose Classic or Etape du Dales next summer - what would be the best course of action over the winter to build me up for this?

I'd suggest nothing more technical than getting out as much as possible and try to do one long ride each week so that you can comfortably do a 60-70 mile ride by March. Don't worry too much about the numbers as they are probably a bit of a red herring.

FWIW I understand a typical VO2 max figure for a reasonable racing cyclist (ie 3rd or 4th cat bunch racer) is around 55.

idaviesmoore

What your gym bod did was probably something like an Astrand fitness test, but as Bronzie says getting on your bike will be more use to you than a V02 figure, especially at this early stage.
Tap into some of the training programmes on this forum (there are probably 100's) and select which suits your time constraints.
As far as cream is concerned I use it regardless of the distance (but I rarely ride less than 2 hours, these days). Provention being bettter than cure

fuzzynavel

Pollys Bott wrote:

fuzzynavel wrote:

idaviesmoore wrote:

Yes But how you plan your training regime from now on is probably more important than the figures you've quoted as they probably don't mean that much to you (I'm only guessing, forgive me if you know about VO2 etc)

The VO2 max results could be reasonable or terrible depending on the method and calculations used.
From memory there are a couple of different ways to do it and the results are interpreted in different ways.
VO2 max can be improved with exercise though.

Well, it was measured on an exercise bike - the chap input height, weight and age and got me to pedal at 70rpm for five minutes on a certain level, and then that performance was measured against (allegedly) 100,000 other results to give me an estimated Vo2 figure. Probably about as accurate as your average weather forecast... I didn't know it could be measured like this, the only one I know of is thrashing your guts out whilst hooked up to some gas-mask type thing.

Was it quite a hard level that the guy put you on. VO2 testing is usually to exhaustion and the effort is ramped up at specific time intervals basically until you break and can't do any more.

sub55

[/quote]
VO2 max can be improved with exercise though.[/quote]

oh no it cant. vo2 max is determined by genetics. however you can reduce it by not looking after yourself in a physiological sense.

sub55

i would take with a pinch of salt, any estimate of vo2 max that was`nt taken whilst your power output and gas conversion rates, were being calculated in a test to max

fuzzynavel

sub55 wrote:

VO2 max can be improved with exercise though.

oh no it cant. vo2 max is determined by genetics. however you can reduce it by not looking after yourself in a physiological sense.

Surely there are 2 different types of VO2 max then...

There is a current VO2 max and a potential VO2 max...

The wikipedia definition of VO2 max is as follows:

"VO2 max (also maximal oxygen consumption, maximal oxygen uptake or aerobic capacity) is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual"

by this definition, your current VO2 max can vary depending on your fitness. This stands to reason as your blood haemoglobin (oxygen carriers) levels also change with fitness.
More Haemoglobin = more oxygen absorption capacity of the blood and hence more potential oxygen that can flow past the muscles etc I think this is the theory behind blood doping if I am remembering correctly. Fitness/conditioning changes the way that muscles use the fuel that they are given and hence the amount of oxygen they can use at any one time. This is a change in the current VO2 max of the subject.

you my be right in that there is be a genetic limit (and I have read that from several sources too) but conditioning can get you a lot of the way there.

You are maybe taking a simplistic view on the subject as there are so many variables that can be influenced which in turn can affect the amount of O2 that your body can use under stress/exercise..

sub55

fuzzynavel wrote:

sub55 wrote:

VO2 max can be improved with exercise though.

oh no it cant. vo2 max is determined by genetics. however you can reduce it by not looking after yourself in a physiological sense.

Surely there are 2 different types of VO2 max then...

There is a current VO2 max and a potential VO2 max...

The wikipedia definition of VO2 max is as follows:

"VO2 max (also maximal oxygen consumption, maximal oxygen uptake or aerobic capacity) is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual"

by this definition, your current VO2 max can vary depending on your fitness. This stands to reason as your blood haemoglobin (oxygen carriers) levels also change with fitness.
More Haemoglobin = more oxygen absorption capacity of the blood and hence more potential oxygen that can flow past the muscles etc I think this is the theory behind blood doping if I am remembering correctly. Fitness/conditioning changes the way that muscles use the fuel that they are given and hence the amount of oxygen they can use at any one time. This is a change in the current VO2 max of the subject.

you my be right in that there is be a genetic limit (and I have read that from several sources too) but conditioning can get you a lot of the way there.

You are maybe taking a simplistic view on the subject as there are so many variables that can be influenced which in turn can affect the amount of O2 that your body can use under stress/exercise..

i`m certainly no expert on this subject but have been involved in several studies for research students. that are controlled by the department prof. he has told me on several occasions that your vo2 l/min is all but set by genetics and cant really be altered through exercise. it is what your body does with the aquired oxygen ,that can be influenced. you can increase your vo2 max ml/kg/min by losing weight.
your cycling performance is determined by the % of vo2 max . you can maintain over a sustained period , combined with l/t tolerance at threshold combined with w/kg.

idaviesmoore

sub55 wrote:

fuzzynavel wrote:

sub55 wrote:

VO2 max can be improved with exercise though.

oh no it cant. vo2 max is determined by genetics. however you can reduce it by not looking after yourself in a physiological sense.

Surely there are 2 different types of VO2 max then...

There is a current VO2 max and a potential VO2 max...

The wikipedia definition of VO2 max is as follows:

"VO2 max (also maximal oxygen consumption, maximal oxygen uptake or aerobic capacity) is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual"

by this definition, your current VO2 max can vary depending on your fitness. This stands to reason as your blood haemoglobin (oxygen carriers) levels also change with fitness.
More Haemoglobin = more oxygen absorption capacity of the blood and hence more potential oxygen that can flow past the muscles etc I think this is the theory behind blood doping if I am remembering correctly. Fitness/conditioning changes the way that muscles use the fuel that they are given and hence the amount of oxygen they can use at any one time. This is a change in the current VO2 max of the subject.

you my be right in that there is be a genetic limit (and I have read that from several sources too) but conditioning can get you a lot of the way there.

You are maybe taking a simplistic view on the subject as there are so many variables that can be influenced which in turn can affect the amount of O2 that your body can use under stress/exercise..

i`m certainly no expert on this subject but have been involved in several studies for research students. that are controlled by the department prof. he has told me on several occasions that your vo2 l/min is all but set by genetics and cant really be altered through exercise. it is what your body does with the aquired oxygen ,that can be influenced. you can increase your vo2 max ml/kg/min by losing weight.
your cycling performance is determined by the % of vo2 max . you can maintain over a sustained period , combined with l/t tolerance at threshold combined with w/kg.

Yeah , the way I have always understood it is that , through the correct type of training, it's not so much your V02 that is improved but rather your efficiency at any given activity. May be wrong though :roll:

Leedsblue

To answer the OP, yes you are reasonably fit in comparison to the rest of the population. However if you compared yourself with a fit, very active runner/cyclist/swimmer I think your BMI is too high and your RHR ccould be lower.

However the good news is that both of those will improve with regular exercise.


Winter training biking/circuits/running and get ready for some long rides in spring

sub55

[/quote]

Yeah , the way I have always understood it is that , through the correct type of training, it's not so much your V02 that is improved but rather your efficiency at any given activity. May be wrong though :roll:[/quote]

that's it in a nutshell

milton50

Hmm. This is getting confusing. These are some things I've found just reading around. The last one's quite interesting;

Levels of VO2 Max in a sedentary person can range from 20 ml/kg/min. to 50 ml/kg/min. Many elite endurance athletes have VO2 Max levels between 70 ml/kg/min and 90 ml/kg/min. Studies have shown that someone who is just starting to run can improve VO2 Max levels from 20-25% by building up their running routine to 25 miles per week. Runners that increase their weekly mileage from 25 miles per week to 50 miles per week can see an increase in VO2 Max of up to 10%...and the increase percentages get stingier from there for the advanced runners that increase their mileage above 50 miles per week. And while increases in mileage will continue to enhance our performance, it’s the speed workouts that will have the most lasting impact on VO2 Max levels.

Second, you can improve VO2max through running more miles. Depending on the research going from being sedentary to running 25 miles per week can improve VO2max by up to 16%. Moving from 25 to the 50 miles per week range can jump it up to another 16%. And moving from 50ish to 70ish improves it up to 3% more. Beyond 70 miles per week there is minimal to no effect at all on VO2max. Keep in mind, with each increase in miles there is a huge increase in the incidence of injuries.

Liken VO2max to how big the gas tank is in your car. You could have a 15 gallon tank and I could have a 12 gallon tank. But if you get 10 miles to the gallon, and I get 30 miles per gallon; you will only go 150 miles on your tank and I will go 360 miles on mine. The issue is efficiency. As a measurement VO2max does not incorporate any efficiency measures, whereas vVO2max does. An efficient runner will race faster than an inefficient runner given similar VO2maxes (or even less as you see in my example)

sub55

Milton50 wrote:

Hmm. This is getting confusing. These are some things I've found just reading around. The last one's quite interesting;

Levels of VO2 Max in a sedentary person can range from 20 ml/kg/min. to 50 ml/kg/min. Many elite endurance athletes have VO2 Max levels between 70 ml/kg/min and 90 ml/kg/min. Studies have shown that someone who is just starting to run can improve VO2 Max levels from 20-25% by building up their running routine to 25 miles per week. Runners that increase their weekly mileage from 25 miles per week to 50 miles per week can see an increase in VO2 Max of up to 10%...and the increase percentages get stingier from there for the advanced runners that increase their mileage above 50 miles per week. And while increases in mileage will continue to enhance our performance, it’s the speed workouts that will have the most lasting impact on VO2 Max levels.

Second, you can improve VO2max through running more miles. Depending on the research going from being sedentary to running 25 miles per week can improve VO2max by up to 16%. Moving from 25 to the 50 miles per week range can jump it up to another 16%. And moving from 50ish to 70ish improves it up to 3% more. Beyond 70 miles per week there is minimal to no effect at all on VO2max. Keep in mind, with each increase in miles there is a huge increase in the incidence of injuries.

Liken VO2max to how big the gas tank is in your car. You could have a 15 gallon tank and I could have a 12 gallon tank. But if you get 10 miles to the gallon, and I get 30 miles per gallon; you will only go 150 miles on your tank and I will go 360 miles on mine. The issue is efficiency. As a measurement VO2max does not incorporate any efficiency measures, whereas vVO2max does. An efficient runner will race faster than an inefficient runner given similar VO2maxes (or even less as you see in my example)

the first example for certain and i would suggest the second one also, refer to ml/kg/min.
so any increase in the subjects vo2 max is almost certainly down to a reduction in body weight due to the increased levels of exercise

fuzzynavel

sub55 wrote:

fuzzynavel wrote:

sub55 wrote:

VO2 max can be improved with exercise though.

oh no it cant. vo2 max is determined by genetics. however you can reduce it by not looking after yourself in a physiological sense.

Surely there are 2 different types of VO2 max then...

There is a current VO2 max and a potential VO2 max...

The wikipedia definition of VO2 max is as follows:

"VO2 max (also maximal oxygen consumption, maximal oxygen uptake or aerobic capacity) is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual"

by this definition, your current VO2 max can vary depending on your fitness. This stands to reason as your blood haemoglobin (oxygen carriers) levels also change with fitness.
More Haemoglobin = more oxygen absorption capacity of the blood and hence more potential oxygen that can flow past the muscles etc I think this is the theory behind blood doping if I am remembering correctly. Fitness/conditioning changes the way that muscles use the fuel that they are given and hence the amount of oxygen they can use at any one time. This is a change in the current VO2 max of the subject.

you my be right in that there is be a genetic limit (and I have read that from several sources too) but conditioning can get you a lot of the way there.

You are maybe taking a simplistic view on the subject as there are so many variables that can be influenced which in turn can affect the amount of O2 that your body can use under stress/exercise..

i`m certainly no expert on this subject but have been involved in several studies for research students. that are controlled by the department prof. he has told me on several occasions that your vo2 l/min is all but set by genetics and cant really be altered through exercise. it is what your body does with the aquired oxygen ,that can be influenced. you can increase your vo2 max ml/kg/min by losing weight.
your cycling performance is determined by the % of vo2 max . you can maintain over a sustained period , combined with l/t tolerance at threshold combined with w/kg.

Your maximum attainable VO2 max may be set by genetics but the way that your body can use the oxygen will vary during your lifetime

Alex_Simmons/RST

VO2 Max typically varies +/- 10% through a season for trained cyclists. It is definitely genetically limited.

A high VO2 Max is a pre-requisite for elite level competition but it is not in itself a predictor of performance potential.

VO2 Max tests really need to be asssesing the gas exchange happening during a test to exhaustion/near exhaustion.

However, it can be estimated from power output and rider's mass when going very hard for say 5 or so minutes (such that a state of VO2 Max is induced). However it also requires an estimate of a rider's efficiency (which can vary typically from 20-25%).

Depending on a rider's efficiency (which BTW is not really different between trained and untrained states nor does it vary much through training), then a rider may produce say between 70 and 87 watts per L/min.

Let's say we have an 80kg rider producing 400W over 5-7 minutes.

So 400 W = anywhere from 4.5 - 5.7 L/min O2 consumed.

Divide that by a rider's mass and there you have a range of VO2 Max: 57-71 ml/kg/min

Which as can be seen is a very wide range. Hence, it really needs to be assessed through a gas exchange analysis, which can establish a rider's efficiency as well.

IOW - a given VO2 Max number won't tell you how well you can go. It'll give you a wide range of possible performance potential.

For all practical purposes, it's the power you can produce and mass that matters.