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What is Lance Armstrong doing that you can do to improve
your results? Most people
exercise to lose weight, focusing
solely on that one single
goal. But wait, it is not
only about looking aesthetically
pleasing, getting in those
tight jeans, or losing ten
pounds. It is really about
improving your health, and
human performance. Each day
when you are huffing and puffing
on the treadmill, focusing
vigorously on keeping yourself
lean, have you ever thought
about what physically is occurring
in your body besides burning
a bunch of calories? For improved
results, more people need
to stop focusing solely on
calorie burn, and start thinking
about improving such fitness
values as VO2 Max, or maximum
oxygen uptake. What exactly
is your VO2 Max? VO2 Max is
defined as the highest rate
at which oxygen can be taken
in and used during high intensity
dynamic exercise. When you
are exercising aerobically
on your treadmill, each and
every muscle contraction requires
oxygen to break down the fats,
carbohydrates, and protein;
thus, providing energy (ATP)
needed to fuel the muscles
in order for movement to occur.
Humans, at rest, need 3.5
ml of oxygen, every minute,
for each kilogram of body
weight just to support the
cellular activities in the
tissues that keep us alive.
Now let's get back to our
treadmill. As you increase
the speed or incline (intensity),
more oxygen is required to
transfer the oxygen through
the blood and into the muscles.
Due to increased intensity
during your exercise session,
more oxygen is required to
initiate the energy releasing
process. Now let's take the
treadmill up to a speed and
incline where you can no longer
catch your breath comfortably.
The intensity has increase
significantly, but you have
reached an upper limit on
the amount of oxygen you can
take in. This is your VO2
Max. VO2 Max values differ
from individual to individual.
Factors such as age, health,
activity levels, training
programs, and genetics all
affect VO2 Max. A sedentary
person has a VO2 Max of around
20 ml of oxygen per kilogram
of body weight per minute
of exercise. A highly trained
endurance athlete can have
a VO2 Max of 70 ml/kg/min.
Now why does Lance Armstrong
win all those bike races?
Yes, he has a great training
program, a great coach, and
great equipment. However,
his genetics for an endurance
athlete are nothing short
of astounding. Do you know
his VO2 Max measures around
83-85 ml/kg/min, while an
average person's is around
40? For Lance, his success
is attributed to a combination
of great training, will, desire,
and unbelievable genetic makeup.
A Super Human Lance: 1. Lungs
- 2 times the capacity of
the average person 2. Muscle
- Accumulates less lactic
acid and is more efficient
at removing it. 3. Heart -
Is about 1/3 larger with a
resting heart rate of 32 beats
per minute, and peaks around
200 beats per minute. 4. Body
Fat - 4-5 percent before the
Tour starts, while an average
person has 15-20 percent.
5. Food Consumption - Needs
6500 calories per day, and
upwards of 10,000 per day
when biking in the mountains
during his 120 mile race.
Truly amazing! How do you
improve VO2 Max? Improvement
is seen by progressively challenging
yourself aerobically with
consistent workouts at 60%
to 85% of your maximum heart
rate (220-age) for an extended
period of time. The most important
variable is to continue attempting
to increase intensity levels
of your workouts. Progressively
overloading is the key; your
body will adapt, and improve
your VO2 Max as well as burn
more calories for decreased
body fat. Now you ask, how
can I measure my VO2 Max?
For the most accurate measurement,
you can go into a hospital,
or a University Human Performance
Lab and get the test. You
will generally use a treadmill
or a stationary bike, and
be given an oxygen mask to
measure your oxygen exchange.
You will also be connected
with chest electrodes to measure
your heart response. The main
objective is to walk, bike,
or run as the intensity is
progressively elevated until
it is not possible to go any
longer. (You should be cleared
or monitored by your physician
before attempting a VO2 Max
test.) The easier. but not
as accurate way, is to do
an estimated sub maximal aerobic
capacity test. The following
is one of the many tests that
can be used. Find a 400 meter
track, bring a stopwatch,
and walk/run as fast as you
can go for 12 minutes. Keep
track of the number of meters
you have gone in 12 minutes,
and use the following formula.
Distance Covered in Meters
- 504.9 / 44.730 = Estimated
VO2 Max Here is a rough guide:
4-5 laps covered, your VO2
Max will be around 30. 5-7
laps covered, your VO2 Max
will be around 45. 7-8 laps
covered (2800 meters), your
VO2 Max will be around 62.
8-8.5 laps covered (3200 meters),
your VO2 Max will be around
67 9 laps covered (3600 meters),
your VO2 Max will be around
70. Learn to keep a close
eye on your fitness values
and try to continually improve
them. Improvement will lead
to great health benefits,
and may result in your goal
of decreased body fat (depending
upon your nutritional habits.)
______________________________________________
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box are not altered in any
way. Healthiest Regards, By:
Jim O'Connor (The Fitness
Promoter)- All Rights Reserved
Jim O'Connor, a celebrity
Exercise Physiologist from
Beverly Hills, California,
is the editor of Wellness
WORD Multimedia Newsletter,
and the author of a popular
ebook called Home Gym Shopping
Secrets. Jim's Passion is
educating the public with
proper scientific researched
health and fitness information.
For further information contact:
Jim O'Connor - Exercise Physiologist/The
Fitness Promoter Wellness
Word, LLC 9461 Charleville
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