Ventilatory Thresholds
The performance of breath, and the breath of performance
No matter what kind of runner you identify as (i.e., novice, experienced, elite), the fact is that we are all bound by certain physiological constraints. Better performers generally have far more generous latitude within these constraints, but at some point, upper limits are reached. Progressing from one level of performance up to the next level of improvement, however you define that, is what training is all about. Understanding what’s happening “under the hood,” so to speak, will make that progression far more achievable as compared to simply yanking against the leash of constraints like an angry dog tied to a tree. There’s a chance the dog’s performance may improve, but there’s also a much greater chance that the dog will just end up muddy, tired, and possibly hurt.
In order to understand what it is that constrains us, we need to delve into some Physiology 101. As we have discussed previously, we have two primary modes of operation when we engage in endurance exercise: aerobic, and anaerobic. The aerobic component is known as the Oxidative System; it is for sustainable amounts of energy, used over relatively long periods of time. The anaerobic component is known as the Glycolytic System (a.k.a., anaerobic glycolysis), for relatively short-term, high effort energy needs. There is a third system, the Phosphagen System (ATP-PC system), which is for instant energy (i.e., “explosive” movements, like box jumps), but this system is usually exhausted within seconds, and not really relevant to running outside of very short sprint efforts.
For scientists, they divide up the usage of these systems into Zones, and these zones are often further sub-divided by coaches in order to give athletes a better sense of the relative effort they should be using to achieve the objectives of a given workout. Most use a simple 5 Zone model, which, when cross-indexed against a 10 point Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), would look like this:
This is a fairly straightforward visualization of how the Zones overlay the relative efforts. An important component which needs to be factored in is our heart rate. Heart rate values are often expressed a percentages, but here caution must be employed, as there are some fine points of which we must be aware. The percentages are based against one’s maximal heart rate, scientifically notated as: HRmax. Misunderstanding #1: “HRmax” is NOT the highest number of beats per minute the heart can possibly go! DO NOT GO THERE!! That could possibly be life-threateningly dangerous! What HRmax is: the maximal SUSTAINABLE heart rate for a prolonged period of time (i.e., 15 to 30 minutes, or a hard 5K run effort). So a 100% HRmax would be the average heart rate for that effort. NOTE: To get a truly accurate HRmax reading, one wold need to go to an exercise physiologist and undergo a full CardioPulmonary Exercise Test (CPET), a dynamic, non-invasive assessment of the cardiopulmonary system at rest and during a progressively increasing exercise. This is usually done on a treadmill or a stationary cycle, while wearing a rapid gas analyzer mask, heart rate sensors, and possibly more.
Misunderstanding #2: 0% (zero percent) of HRmax is NOT zero heart beats! 0% would be the Resting Heart Rate (RHR). This is usually the heart rate when you’re sitting comfortably and relaxed in a chair. So it is possible to go above 100% HRmax as well as below 0% RHR (i.e., deep sleep phases). The difference between HRmax and HRR is know as our Heart Rate Reserve (HRR); THIS is what the percentages are referencing.
Misunderstanding #3: The “220 minus age” Formula (and others which are similar). These formulas can and do work, but for POPULATIONS, not individuals. There is far too much variation from one person to the next for any simple formula to be able to properly calculate what an individual should use.
So if we add in heart rate percentages, we can see how they correlate to both the zones and the RPE’s.
What these two charts do NOT depict, however, is how things warp when these various efforts are sustained for any length of time. Obviously, the lower the rating of RPE, the easier the effort, and easy things can be sustained for a good amount of time. But once the effort starts to become significant, our ability to hold that effort over time starts to shrink exponentially.
Read the full article in the Breath Runner Club!
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