Regular Walking or Aerobic Exercise lowers risk from Stroke
By
David Holt
of
David Holt
A 15 minute time trial gives the material to calculate VO2 max to within 5 percent. From "Running Dialogue" by 31 minute 10K runner David Holt.
Maximum Oxygen Uptake Capacity is the amount of oxygen we can breath
in one minute while working at full capacity. It. s a measure
of fitness expressed in milliliters per kilogram per minute.
In the research lab. this is measured at a treadmill speed of 11.3
kilometers per hour. During the first five minutes, the treadmill is
raised two degrees per minute (to 10 degrees). Thereafter, it is
raised one degree for every minute, until the athlete is unable to
maintain 11.3 km/hour.
The cheap alternative for real athletes.
VO2 Maximum Prediction / Calculation: Runners VO2 Max predicted to 95 percent
VO2 max can be predicted with 95 percent accuracy by
getting a group to run around a track on a windless day for exactly 15 min?
utes. The distance run to the nearest 25 meters is noted, and Bruno Balke's
formula is used to predict VO2 max. After a base of 6.5, this follows a linear
pattern of 5 mls.kg.min. for every extra 400 meters covered. For example, if 10
laps is run (4,000 meters), it predicts 56.5 mls.kg.min. If 11 laps, or 4,400 m
is run, VO2 max is 56.5 plus 5 =
61.5. Twelve laps (4,800) will be
61.5 + 5 = 66.5.
World class runners have a figure of 80 (male) and 70 (female).
For those who do about 15:37 for 5K, (about 15 minutes for 4,800 meters) the VO2 max is 66.5.
e-mail calculations to me at: holtrun@sprynet.com if you get to it before I do
Thanks to Tim Grose for this e-mail
Some runners asked me to post details of the Balke Test which is a way of
estimating your VO2 Max.
Basically you ran for 15 minutes as hard as you can around a measured
course and note how far you run. It doesn't have to be at a track but that
is probably the best place as you don't want your distance affected by
hills or uneven surfaces.
You then use the following formula to work out the predicted VO2 Max:
(Speed - 133) * 0.172 + 33.3
Speed is the average speed of your 15 minute run in metres per minute. To
work this out divide the distance you ran in metres by 15.
Some check values:
|
4000 metres | VO2 Max estimate 56.3 ml/kg/min |
| 4500 | 62.0 |
| 5000 | 67.8
The reference for this is Obsession for Running by Frank Horwill. However I
somewhat sceptical of this formula at very high performances levels as to
achieve a VO2 Max of 80 (common value for world-class athletes) one would
have to run over 6000 metres (i.e. faster than 12:30 pace for 5K) which is
clearly out of reach of anyone yet VO2 Max values in the 80s have been
recorded.
To measure VO2 Max exactly you need to get it measured in a lab - they
actually measure how much air you are inhaling/expelling.
This formula from Frank's book is slightly different to
David's above, and produces marginally different results.
Tim Grose, until recently, editor of the
BMC News, and a regular attendee at sessions held by Frank Horwill at
Battersea Park.
How do you improve VO2 max
The best way to improve VO2 max is to run between 80 and 100 percent
of VO2 max. One hundred percent equals the athlete. s 3k
pace; 95 % equals 5 k speed; 90 % is 10k speed; and 80 percent
equals his steady running pace which is between 20-25 seconds per
400 meters slower than for each 400 m of his best 1500 meter time.
Thus, an athlete with a 4 minute 1500, runs it at 64 secs per 400;
his steady running should be between 64 + 20 and 64 + 25 or 5:36
to 5:56 per mile. Anything slower will not be at 80 percent VO2
max.
Work physiologists believe training at 95 % VO2 max brings the
best results, although one Russian physiologist of note--Karibosk,
thinks 100 % (3 k or two mile pace) is better because it tunes up
the anaerobic pathway. Note--3,000 m is run at 60 % aerobic and
40 % anaerobic.
Physiologists are agreed the percentages at the higher level (100
- 95 %) should be done for 3-5 minutes. duration, repeated many
times in one session, with a short recovery; and the lower percent?
ages (90 - 80 %) should be for 10-20 minutes, also with short
recoveries.
The same applies with cross training for running. Do 2-4 minute surges on the bicycle, or 150 to 250 meter intervals when swimming.
Does it matter what your VO2 max is.
Not really. World records have been run by people with high 60s value, beating out the mid 80s runners. It is all about running efficiency and economy.
But, doing interval training will improve your VO2 max WHILE also improving your running economy.
Don't worry about the VO2 max numbers.
Run 2 mile pace to improve your 5k time; Run at Five k pace for 10k. And always remember your 15k pace running sessions. Your VO2 will improve as your times come down: But mostly, it will be your running efficiency which has improved with it, which allows you to maintain a certain pace longer...to run PRs.
The above includes sections from Brittish coach Frank Horwill's contribution to my running books.
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