The material in this section will consist of examples from swimming, cycling and running. We will emphasize the importance of knowing both the aerobic and anaerobic capacity of the athlete. A systematic monitoring of training requires that the coach and athlete know the conditioning level of both systems. Otherwise they will not be able to make the right choice on "what" and "how" to train nor get the proper feedback for maximum training efficiency.Aerobic capacity and anaerobic capacity are the basis for every performance of longer than 2 minutes. To assure the best possible performance in competition these two capacities must not only be as strong as possible but also well balanced. It is not always possible to maximize both at the same time. In order to achieve the right balance it is sometimes necessary to break down one of the peak strengths. This will then provide an optimal reciprocal supporting of both energy supply routes.
For each examples all variables that can affect the lactate result such as temperature, recent training sessions, time of day, weather conditions etc. were well controlled. (See section on Factors Affecting Results) The interpretation and training advice based on the lactate results will differ depending upon several considerations. These are:
- the type of triathlon for which the athlete is preparing (Olympic length - OT or Ironman length - IM )
- the point in time in the training cycle (base training phase - BP or pre-competition phase- PCP). The pre-competition phase is usually within 4-6 weeks of the competition.
In the examples we will also consider how high or low anaerobic capacity affects the test interpretation and training advice.
We will concentrate on the main interpretation and training advice. However, it is possible to fine tune the training workout and interpretation. Therefore lactate results have to be combined with other observations. For example, even when the athlete is conditionally able to train a lot and at high intensity, strength or risk for injuries may limit the amount of training that should be performed.
The triathlete in the following example is an experienced well conditioned triathlete. The following is the background for this athlete:
In order to gauge the current physical conditioning of the triathlete for running, a Standardized Lactate Training Protocol (SLTP) was conducted. For running this consisted of 3 x 2000 m runs at a submaximal pace and 1 x 600 m run at an all-out effort. The results of this tests are below
The tV4 time (the time which corresponds to the pace at which the athlete generates 4 mmol/l of lactate) for the 2000 m was approximately 6:08. The estimated mile tV4 time would be 4:54. The maximum lactate produced from the anaerobic capacity test (1 x 600 m) was 7.2 mmol/l. The coach also asked the athlete to conduct a control test. The athlete ran a 12 km distance run averaging 3:50 per km. The lactate level after the test was 1.6 mmol/l.
This controlled test confirmed the aerobic conditioning levels and the coach used the following table of workout intensities to guide training.
The coach made the following assessment of the athlete based on the preceding tests:
the athlete is in the base training phase then the goal is to stabilize the current aerobic conditioning.the athlete is in the pre-competition phase of preparation then the objective is to transfer aerobic capacity to aerobic power.
an Ironman length event if the athlete is in the base training phase. A low anaerobic capacity increases the risk for overload in intensity. If the anaerobic capacity is high enough the athlete can absorb more effectively different aerobic training sets and can more easily handle intense aerobic and anaerobic workouts.an Olympic length event no matter if the athlete is in the base training phase or the pre-competition phase. It is important in the base training phase for the same reasons it is important for the Ironman event at this point. It is important for the race itself because the athlete must be able to generate speed or tolerate changes in speed at certain times during the race. This is especially important near the end if there is a sprint to the finish. If two athletes at the end are close together then the one with the higher anaerobic capacity will win.
Since the aerobic conditioning is excellent, training will be focussed primarily on increasing anaerobic capacity and secondly on stabilizing the aerobic conditioning.
aerobic conditioning - about 80% of mileage will be at or slower than column 1 (4:13 per km.) The athlete has to be very careful with the frequency of extensive and intensive interval sets. If the athlete had a higher anaerobic capacity, then 80% of his training could be distributed over column 1 and 2 (slower than 3:55 per km.) Some extensive and intensive interval sets will be needed.anaerobic conditioning - In a RR week (reduced training) there should be no anaerobic training sets or at most one. During a normal week there will be one or two anaerobic training sets depending upon the emphasis of running (compared to swimming and cycling) that week. The intervals should be 100-200 m, there should not be more than 6 consecutive repetitions, and the maximum distance should be less than 2000 m. It is important that the athlete do each interval at near maximum speed. If the intervals are not done at near max speed they are a waste of time. It is better to do fewer at near max speed then more at just a fast speed.
If at any time the athlete can not complete the interval at the near maximum speed then they should stop even if it is only 3 intervals. Also if the athlete does a workout consisting of 2 x 6 x 150 then the two sets should be separated by an extensive or regenerative exercise of least 50 minutes. There should be 1-2 minutes rest between each interval.
If the anaerobic capacity had been high instead, then the anaerobic training sets would be reduced but with longer intervals.
aerobic conditioning - about 75% of mileage will be at or slower than column 1 (4:13 per km.) Three of the five weeks will contain an intensive aerobic workout (to increase aerobic power) corresponding to column 3 to 5 or extensive and intensive interval sets.anaerobic conditioning - No set in a RR week (reduced training). During a normal week there will be one or two anaerobic training sets depending upon the emphasis of running that week. If the anaerobic capacity is high instead, then the frequency of anaerobic training sets will be reduced.
Since the aerobic conditioning is excellent, training will be focussed primarily on the increase of anaerobic capacity if in the base preparation phase or on the stabilization of the aerobic capacity and the increase of aerobic power if in the pre-competition phase.
aerobic conditioning - about 85-90% of mileage will be at or slower than column 1 (4:13 per km.) The athlete has to be very careful with the frequency of extensive and intensive interval sets. If the athlete had a higher anaerobic capacity then this 85-90% of his training could be distributed over column 1 or even a little bit faster(till about half way between column 1 and 2 - slower than 4:05 per km.) Some extensive and intensive interval sets will be needed.anaerobic conditioning - We try to improve the anaerobic capacity by one or two training sessions per week for 3 out of 5 weeks of a mesocycle. An example of an anaerobic capacity training session is 8 sets of 6 intervals of 70-150 at nearly maximum speed. There should be 1-2 minutes rest between each interval.
aerobic conditioning - about 90-95% of mileage will be at or slower than column 1 (4:13 per km.) About 3 of 5 weeks the athlete will do an aerobic intensive or tempo long run corresponding to column 3 or 4 or even faster than column 4.anaerobic conditioning - Only one small anaerobic training set every 2 weeks will be needed to sustain anaerobic capacity. If the anaerobic capacity is high then anaerobic training sets will be reduced.
The triathlete in the following example is an experienced well conditioned triathlete. The following is the background for this athlete:
In order to gauge the current physical conditioning of the triathlete for swimming, a Standardized Lactate Training Protocol was conducted. For swimming this consisted of 1 x 400 m swim at a submaximal pace and 1 x 100 m swim at an all-out effort. The results of this tests are below
The tV4 time for the 400 m was approximately 5:00.7. The maximum lactate produced from the anaerobic capacity test (1 x 100 m) was 7.5 mmol/l. The coach also asked the athlete to conduct a control test. The athlete swam 10 x 100 m intervals averaging 1:12.5 per 100 m. The lactate level after the test was 3.0 mmol/l.
This control test confirmed the aerobic conditioning levels and the coach used the following table of workout intensities to guide training.
The coach made the following assessment of the athlete based on the preceding tests:
an Olympic length event no matter if the athlete is in the base training phase or the pre-competition phase. It is important in the base training phase so the athlete can absorb more effectively different aerobic training sets and can more easily handle intense aerobic and anaerobic workouts. It is important for the race itself because the athlete must be able to generate speed or tolerate changes in speed at certain times during the race. This is especially important at the start and near the end of the swim.an Ironman length event if the athlete is in the base training phase or more than 6 weeks away from the race. A low anaerobic capacity increases the risk for overload in intensity. If the anaerobic capacity is high enough the athlete can absorb more effectively different aerobic training sets and can more easily handle intense aerobic and anaerobic workouts. The interpretation is essentially the same as that for the runner in Example 1 except this is for swimming.
The aerobic conditioning is good but can be better. Thus, training will be focussed on improving aerobic conditioning both in the base preparation phase and in the pre-competition phase.
aerobic conditioning - about 90% of meters will be at or slower than column 2. Training at intensities in column 3-5 should be avoided. However the training could include some 100 m sets from column 6. If the athlete had a higher anaerobic capacity then 85-90% of his training could be distributed over column 1 to 3. Training in column 4 and 5 should be avoided. And the training could include some 100 m sets from column 6 or even faster.anaerobic conditioning - In a RR week (reduced training) there should be no anaerobic training sets or at most one. During a normal week there will be one or two anaerobic training sets depending upon the emphasis of swimming (compared to running and cycling)that week. The intervals should be 25-50 m and there should not be more than 6 consecutive repetitions. For example a 2x4x50 m is a possible set as long as each set (4 x 50 m) is separated by an extensive exercise.
If the athlete had a higher anaerobic capacity then the anaerobic capacity training sets will be longer (e.g. 10x25m + 10x50m total of 750 m). Rest times for anaerobic sets are 1.5 times the swim time independent of the anaerobic capacity.
aerobic conditioning - about 90% of mileage will be at or slower than column 2. Two of the five weeks will contain an intensive aerobic workout corresponding to column 3 to 5 (e.g. 8 x 200m rest 10 sec as fast as possible) and a progressive series (9 x 100m P/3 Rest 30 sec, column 3, 5, >6). extensive and intensive interval sets.anaerobic conditioning - No block in a RR week (reduced training). During a normal week there will be one or two anaerobic training sets depending upon the emphasis of swimming that week. If the anaerobic capacity is high instead, then the frequency of anaerobic training sets will be reduced and rest periods within intensive aerobic sets will be decreased.
The aerobic conditioning is good but could be better. Thus, training will be focussed on improving aerobic conditioning both in the base preparation phase and in the pre-competition phase.
aerobic conditioning - about 90% of meters will be at or slower than column 2. Training at intensities in column 3-5 should be avoided. However the training could include some 100 m sets from column 6. If the athlete had a higher anaerobic capacity then 85-90% of his training could be distributed over column 1 to 3. Training in column 4 and 5 should be avoided. And the training could include some 100 m sets from column 6 or even faster.anaerobic conditioning - In a RR week (reduced training) there should be no anaerobic training sets. During a normal week there will be one or two anaerobic training sets depending upon the emphasis of swimming (compared to running and cycling)that week. The intervals should be 25-50 m and there should not be more than 6 consecutive repetitions. For example a 2x4x50 m is a possible set as long as each set (4 x 50 m) is separated by an extensive exercise.
If the athlete had a higher anaerobic capacity then the anaerobic capacity training sets will be longer (e.g. 10x25m + 10x50m). Rest times for anaerobic sets are 1.5 times the swim time independent of anaerobic capacity.
aerobic conditioning - about 90-93% of mileage will be at or slower than column 2. Two of the five weeks will contain an intensive aerobic workout corresponding to column 3 to 5 (e.g. 4 x 800m rest 10 sec as fast as possible).anaerobic conditioning - Only one small anaerobic training set every 3 weeks will be performed to sustain the anaerobic capacity. If the athlete has a high anaerobic capacity then the volume will be reduced.
The athlete was asked to follow the program for an Olympic length triathlon and told there would be an another test in 6 weeks. He was asked to keep a log of each set and workout. The first test was conducted on December 12, 1996. He was retested on January 28, 1997. The same SLTP test was performed and the results were compared to the previous test.
The chart below shows the results of both tests. According to the test the athlete's aerobic conditioning deteriorated over the 6 weeks even though he had been training steadily. His tV4 time went from 5:00.7 to 5:06.3. His anaerobic capacity increased though, from 7.5 mmol/l to 8.9 mmol/l.
In order to confirm the results of the SLTP a control test was conducted. The athlete swam three sets of 4 x 100 m intervals. The pace was increased with each set and the pace of each set was set to match the paces from his chart of guidelines. At every speed the lactate generated exceeded the expected lactate. This confirmed that the SLTP had correctly identified his tV4 time and aerobic conditioning had deteriorated.
The athlete showed his training log to us and we quickly discovered the reason for the regression. The athlete had systematically increased the intensity of his workouts. When asked why he didn't follow the plan, he replied that the prescribed training paces were too slow and he could easily handle the faster paces. Instead of keeping about 90% of his training from column 1 and 2 he regularly trained in column 5 or faster. The following table shows the pace the athlete kept up in his workouts.
The athlete agreed to keep to the new training recommendations but was afraid he would lose anaerobic capacity. The next test was planned in 6 weeks on March 10th, 1997. During the meantime he followed the recommendations for an Olympic triathlon based on the following chart. This chart represented slower paces because his aerobic capacity was lower (indicated by the slower tV4 time.)
The athlete followed the training recommendations and was tested again in six weeks. The same SLTP test was performed and the results were compared to the previous two tests.
The chart below shows the results of all three tests. For the third test the aerobic conditioning improved substantially. The tV4 time went from 5:06.3 to 4:51.5, a drop of nearly 15 seconds. Also the anaerobic capacity increased as the maximum lactate was 9.3 mmol/l.
In order to assess the aerobic power a progressive swim test was used as a control test. After a 2 x 400 m, the swimmer was asked to swim 4 x 200 m with 30 seconds rest using the last column on the intensity scale. And to end the set with a 4 x 100 m (30 sec rest) as fast as possible. The fact that the 4 x 100 m could be covered faster than column 5 indicates a good aerobic power.
The athlete was given a new set of intensities to use for his workouts for the next 6 weeks. These are in the chart below.
The triathlete in the following example is an experienced well conditioned cyclist who has recently took training for the triathlon. The following is the background for this athlete:
In order to gauge the current physical conditioning of the triathlete for cycling, a Standardized Lactate Training Protocol (SLTP) and a control test was conducted. For cycling the SLTP consisted of 3 x 5500 m rides at a submaximal pace. The results of the SLTP test are below
The tV4 time (the time which corresponds to the pace at which the athlete generates 4 mmol/l of lactate) was 1:40.6 per km. This is approximately 2:40.9 per mile. Very often cyclists prefer to work with speed rather than time since their cycles will often have a speedometer. The speed at 4 mmol/l (designated as V4) was 35.8 km/h or 22.3 mph.
Since a maximum lactate was not produced from this test the athlete performed a control test. The last step of the control test was an all-out effort so this measured the anaerobic capacity of the athlete. The first two sets were more control for the intensity while the last set was a measure of anaerobic capacity.
After performing both the control test and the SLTP the athlete used the following chart to guide his training.
The coach made the following assessment of the athlete based on the preceding tests:
The aerobic conditioning is good but can be better. Thus, training will be focussed on improving aerobic conditioning both in the base preparation phase and in the pre-competition phase. In the pre-competition phase there will also be an objective of lowering the anaerobic capacity a little.
aerobic conditioning -It is important to increase the aerobic capacity however without increasing the anaerobic capacity. We will therefore be very careful with high intensity. Some intensive intervals will be included in the training program, but they will always be followed by a long extensive part of the exercise. This is in order to inhibit the anaerobic improvement. About 90-95% of mileage will be at or slower than column 2. Intensive training sets will last about 20 km (2x10 or 4x5) at speeds faster than column 6. These will follow immediately after the warm up so that at least 2/3 of the mileage of training session is extensive and allocated at the end of the session.If the athlete had a low anaerobic capacity then 85-90% of training mileage will be distributed over column 1 to 2. However anaerobic training sets will be more stressed. Training intensities at column 3-5 should to be avoided in this phase of the preparation.
anaerobic conditioning - In a RR week (reduced training) there will be one small block. During a regular week there will be one normal or two small blocks depending upon the emphasis of cycling (compared to swimming and running) that week. It is important that the intervals be short 500-1500 m.
If the anaerobic capacity had been low then consecutive repetitions within a set will be limited to 4. A set of 2 or 3 x 4 repetitions is possible as long as each set or 4 repetitions is separated by another extensive exercise. Rest has always to be very very extensive and last at least the time of effort. (For example if the athlete is doing a interval of about 500 m and it takes about 45-60 seconds then the rest between each repetition should be greater. It would best if it was a passive rest but since the athlete is on a bike they may have to pedal but if they could glide it would be better. There should be no attempt to clear lactate through some sort of active rest. In between repetitions there will be a buffering of the lactate.)
aerobic conditioning - about 90% of mileage will be at or slower than column 2. Two of the five weeks will contain an intensive aerobic workout corresponding to column 3 to 5 (5 x 5 km with 30 sec. rest) or a progressive series (9 x 3 km P/3 Rest 30 sec from column 3, 5 >6. This is really 3 sets of 3 intervals. Within each set, each interval is getting faster. This will have a different effect than if the athlete cycled the first set all at one speed and then went faster for the second set and still faster for the third sets.)anaerobic conditioning - No block in a RR week. During a normal week there will be one anaerobic training sets depending upon the emphasis of cycling that week. If the anaerobic capacity is low instead, then the frequency of anaerobic training sets will be increased but the number of repetitions decreased. This means that the athlete will do one more set but the total distance will be less for each set. Also the rest periods within intensive aerobic sets will be increased.
During the base preparation phase the first priority will be to improve the aerobic conditioning. The second priority will be to lower the anaerobic capacity. During the pre-competition phase these priorities will be reversed since it will be very important to lower the very high anaerobic capacity.
aerobic conditioning -It is important to increase the aerobic capacity however without increasing the anaerobic capacity. We will therefore be very careful with high intensity. Some intensive intervals will be included in the training program, but hey will always be followed by a long extensive part of the exercise. This is in order to inhibit the anaerobic improvement. About 90-95% of mileage will be at or slower than column 2. Intensive training sets will last about 20 km (2x10 or 4x5) at speeds faster than column 6. These will be immediately after warming up so that at least 2/3 of the mileage of training session is extensive and allocated at the end of the session. This is the same advice given for preparation for an Olympic length event except the athlete should in one week out of every three have a extensive long distance session (>100km). This is to decrease the anaerobic capacity a bit.anaerobic conditioning - In a RR week (reduced training) there will be no block. During a regular week there will be one or two small blocks depending upon the emphasis of cycling (compared to swimming and running). It is important that the intervals be short 500-1500 m.
If the anaerobic capacity is low instead, then the frequency of anaerobic training sets will be increased but the number of repetitions decreased. This means that the athlete will do one more set but the total distance will be less for each set. Also the rest periods within intensive aerobic sets will be increased.
aerobic conditioning - about 93-97% of mileage will be at or slower than column 2 About 2 of 5 weeks the athlete will do an aerobic intensive workout corresponding to column 3 - 6 (7 x 8km, 40 sec rest as fast as possible at a constant speed, but with no lost of speed at the end. For the first time the athlete will probably misjudge the fastest speed they can hold for each repetition. After time the athlete will know what they can handle.)There should also be one long distance session between 100 and 150 km. One out of five weeks is very low in mileage (about 220 km). The remaining week has one extensive long distance session or a mixture of short intensive intervals with only 45 seconds rest for each interval (total distance of about 40 km) followed by an long extensive ride (about 80 km).
anaerobic conditioning - No block in the RR week. In the other weeks there will be 1 small block if the cycling is being emphasized that week.
If the anaerobic capacity is low instead, then the frequency of anaerobic training sets will be increased but the number of repetitions decreased. This means that the athlete will do one more set but the total distance will be less for each set. Also the rest periods within intensive aerobic sets will be increased.
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