What is VO2max and do I need to know my score? Polar Fitness Test, OwnIndex, BMD and VO2max measurement. What is lactate threshold and should I get mine tested?

Aerobic fitness (level of cardiovascular fitness) is the most important component in the process physical training. The remaining components are muscle strength and endurance, flexibility and other background functions. The level of fitness of the cardiovascular system is measured as the amount of oxygen transported by the blood pumped by the heart to the muscles and the efficiency of the muscles to use this oxygen at work. Increasing the efficiency of the cardiovascular system means empowering the heart and the entire cardiovascular system to perform their most important task, delivering oxygen and energy to your body.

A good cardiovascular system provides many health benefits. For example, the risk is reduced cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes and other diseases.
Cardiovascular training is most effective when large groups muscles in dynamic work. These are activities such as walking, various running, swimming, skating, cycling, climbing stairs, skiing.

The heart is like any other muscle - it becomes stronger and more efficient when it is exercised. Heart rate is a quantitative indicator of the work of the heart. The healthy heart of an average person at rest beats about 60-70 times per minute. A trained heart beats much less frequently at rest and can contract as little as 40-50 times per minute or even less. Variability heart rate is an indicator of the quality of the work of the heart. The lower the resting heart rate and the higher the heart rate variability, the better quality heart functions.

Aerobic fitness depends on age, gender, constant training habits, heredity, and the general clinical state of the cardiovascular system. The maximum values are reached at the age of 15 to 30 years and gradually decrease with increasing age. By the age of 60 years, the average maximum aerobic fitness is only 75% of the values of 20 years of age. With a sedentary lifestyle, the decrease in aerobic fitness results occurs on average by 10% every 10 years, while in people leading an active lifestyle, this decrease occurs only by 5% over the same period of time.

Maximum oxygen consumption (MOC), VO 2 max

There is a clear relationship between body oxygen consumption (VO2) and cardiorespiratory (cardiopulmonary) fitness levels because oxygen delivery to tissues is dependent on lung and cardiac function. Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max, maximum aerobic power) is a measure of the maximum rate at which oxygen can be used by the body during maximum work. It depends directly on the maximum performance of the heart, with which it can deliver blood to the muscles. MIC can be measured directly in the laboratory or predicted using aerobic fitness tests (maximum and submaximal tests, as well as the Polar Fitness test).

MIC is a good measure of cardiorespiratory fitness and a good predictor of peak performance in aerobic sports such as sprinting. long distances, cycling, skating and skiing, swimming.

The MIC value can be expressed in absolute terms as milliliters of oxygen per minute (ml/min), or can be reduced to a relative value when divided by body weight, i.e. as milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of weight per minute (mL/kg/min).

The relationship between the amount of oxygen consumed (VO 2 ) and heart rate (HR) is linear for an individual during dynamic exercise. The percentage of VO 2 max can be changed to a percentage of maximum heart rate (HRmax) using the following formula: %HRmax = (% VO 2 max + 28.12)/1.28.

MIC is the main component of intensity determination exercise. Defining a training goal by heart rate intensity is more practical and useful because it can be easily obtained in a non-invasive way, for example, directly online during exercise according to heart rate monitors (heart rate monitors).

Polar Fitness Test and OwnIndex

The OwnIndex obtained from the Polar Fitness Test reflects your aerobic (cardiovascular) fitness. It predicts the maximum aerobic power of an athlete, which is usually referred to as the maximum oxygen consumption (MOC) in the form of a VO 2 max value, measured in ml / min / kg. In fact, this is an indicator of how many milliliters of oxygen your body is able to transport and use during physical work for every kilogram of weight in one minute.

The test is designed for adults who do not experience health problems. It is fully automatic and can be completed while relaxing in less than 5 minutes. No other equipment such as treadmill or something else is not required. This test is simple, safe, reliable and fast way evaluate your level of maximum aerobic fitness and find out your level of MPC. It's just as reliable as most other submaximal training tests.
The Fitness Test for MIC calculation is based on the following values:

resting heart rate
resting heart rate variability
age
self-assessment of the level of long-term physical activity last 6 months

Why do a fitness test at all?

The basic idea of testing the level of aerobic fitness is to get information about your physical form and understand at what level of training a person is. When a person receives a test result, they can compare it with the average values for people of the same age and gender.
Testing motivates and inspires a person to start exercising, continue exercising or increase the physical intensity of their training. The test is most useful for tracking individual progress by comparing test scores with previous values. The test shows an improvement in cardiovascular (aerobic) fitness.

The aerobic fitness test is the cornerstone of training. When an athlete knows his result, it is easier for him to choose the right heart rate range for his training.
In order to correctly and most accurately compare test results, you should always test under the same conditions, at the same time, using the same heart monitor.

How to take the test

You can take the test anytime, anywhere, but make sure you choose a comfortable and quiet place where you won't be disturbed. It is very important to always perform the test under similar conditions and at the same time of day.

Wet the transmitter, for a sure reading of the signal, and put it on.
Lie down and relax for 2-3 minutes.
Start the test (for RS800/RS400: menu → Test → Fitness Test → Start, for FT80/FT60: menu → Applications → Fitness test → Start), the current heart rate value will be displayed on the screen of the heart rate monitor. The test will begin as soon as the heart rate monitor can reliably read your heart rate. Lie relaxed and avoid any body movements during testing, do not raise your arms or legs, and do not talk. Put your hands along the body.
After about 5 minutes, the heart rate monitor will signal the end of the test and show your result: the OwnIndex value and your fitness level. Click OK.
The heart rate monitor will prompt you to update your VO 2 max value in your profile (Update VO 2 max?). Select Yes if you want to update your profile, or No if you don't want to.

Also, in some models of heart monitors (RS800CX for example) you will be shown the calculated value of your maximum heart rate HR-max-p (HR-max-predicted) and will also be prompted to update the maximum heart rate value in your profile with this calculated value.

The OwnIndex value is stored in the monitor's memory and can be viewed as values and a graph (for RS800 models) or as a result list for FT60/FT80 models.

If the test fails, your previous value will be used. The test may fail if the heart rate monitor does not receive information about each heart contraction. Every heartbeat counts because changes in heart rate (variability) at rest are measured. If it fails, the heart rate monitor will beep twice and the screen will display “Test Failed”. Make sure that the electrodes of the pulse sensor are sufficiently moist and that the elastic strap of the sensor fits snugly on the body and restart the test.

The OwnIndex value affects the accuracy of the calculation of calorie consumption during exercise and the operation of the Polar STAR Training Program (in FT60 and FT80 models).

How do you compare your score to other people's scores?

OwnIndex is an estimate of the maximum oxygen consumption VO 2 max in ml/min/kg. The following is a classification of BMD values for men and women aged 20 to 65, broken down into age groups for which the Polar Fitness Test was developed. The classification is based on a study by Shvartz & Reibold in 1990. Laboratory measurements of VO 2 max were collected and processed for adults from 7 countries in Europe, as well as Canada and the USA (Shvartz, Reibold. Aerobic training norms for men and women aged 6 to 75 years: a review. Aviat Space Environ Med 61, 3-11, 1990).

Men: maximum oxygen consumption VO 2 max ml/min/kg

Women: maximum oxygen consumption VO 2 max ml/min/kg

General distribution:
11% of people are in grades 1-2 and 6-7
22% in grades 3 and 5
34% in class 4

This corresponds to the normal distribution (Gaussian distribution), because The classification was developed on representative samples of people from different countries. Top Athletes in endurance sports typically have an MIC level of around 70 ml/min/kg for men and 60 for women. Regularly trained amateurs who periodically participate in various competitions have a level of 60-70 for men and 50-60 for women. Amateurs who train regularly but do not participate in any competitions have a figure in the region of 40-60 for men and 30-50 for women, and for adults leading a sedentary lifestyle, they are likely to be below 40 for men and 30 for women.

The skill level shown in the table as a grade from 1 to 7 is helpful in interpreting individual results Polar Fitness Test, as cardiovascular health depends on aerobic fitness:

People in grades 1-3 are most likely to improve their health and performance significantly if they engage in regular exercise.
Those in class 4 can at least keep their physical form, if they continue their classes, but they can also significantly improve their fitness and health if they increase their physical activity.
People in classes 5-7 most likely already possess good health and increasing training for them aims to increase physical performance.

What can lead to the distortion of test results

In order to get reliable test results, try to avoid the following points:

do not eat heavy food and coffee, and do not smoke 2-3 hours before the test
On the day of the test and the day before, do not do any particularly hard or exorbitant work
do not drink alcohol or any stimulants on the day of testing and the day before
do the test itself only when you are completely relaxed and calm, in a lying or sitting position
do not make any movements or talk during the test itself, coughing or just being excited can affect the result
the test site should be quiet and comfortable, nothing should disturb the peace and make any sounds and noise, including TV, radio and telephone

How quickly you can see improvements in test results

It takes on average a minimum of 6 weeks to reach notable progress in results aerobic tests. Less trained people may notice progress much faster, while more active athletes may take a much longer period. On average, the change in cardiovascular fitness in adults occurs by 12-15% in 10-12 weeks if moderate-intensity training occurs 3-4 times a week for 30-40 minutes each.

The purpose of the Polar Fitness Test itself is the same as all other fitness tests: to monitor the actual training process. It is not so much the exact values of OwnIndex that are important, but the general trend in these values, which allows you to correctly build your training plan to achieve your goals.

How reliable are the results of the OwnIndex test?

The Polar Fitness test was originally developed from a study of 305 healthy Finnish men and women, where VO 2 max prediction was calculated using artificial neural network analysis. The correlation coefficient between laboratory measurements of VO 2 max and values predicted by the neural network was 0.97, and the average prediction error of VO 2 max was 6.5%, which is very good compared to all other VO 2 max prediction tests (i.e. tests that do not directly measure the IPC, as on a bicycle ergometer, but calculate it by indirect signs).

In a further development of the test, a study was made on 119 healthy American men and women, whose results were included in the final calculations of the neural network, thus obtaining a total of results for 424 subjects. Based on these artificial neural network results, changes and adjustments were made to the Polar Fitness test. The test was also tested on 52 healthy men who did not belong to the group of subjects on whom the test was developed. The mean deviation of test values in predicting BMD was less than 12%. The validity and accuracy of the Polar Fitness test is considered good.

The reliability of a test is determined by how consistent and reproducible the test results are in successive trials. The reliability of the Polar Fitness test was found to be good when 11 people repeated the test in both lying and sitting positions in the morning, afternoon and evening for 8 days. The mean individual standard deviation of consecutive test scores was less than 8% of the individual mean. Standard deviations were calculated separately for each time of the day and were found to be less than the mean deviation of all results. This is a good indication that the test can be taken at any time of the day, but for more accurate results, it is best to always take it at about the same time.

What to do if you fail the test

The test will fail if your heart rate monitor cannot reliably and accurately capture your heart rate at the start of the test or during the entire test process. Be sure to moisten the sensor electrodes well before testing and check that the sensor's elastic strap is snug and comfortable on the body. The monitor should be within the transmitter's transmission range and not too far away, preferably no more than 1 meter, but not too close to the transmitter. Place your hands next to your body. Check the display to make sure the heart symbol flashes regularly when starting the test.

If you have an FT40, FT60, or FT80 model, you may see a "Heart rate found" message at the start of the test. On the RS400/RS800 models, you can start the heart monitor in normal training mode before the test and make sure that the heart rate readings are stable and adequate, on the RS800 model, you can also turn on the display of readings on the screen measurements R-R intervals and make sure that these readings are present, which indicates that the heart monitor sees the pulse clearly and well. After that, you can turn off the training mode and proceed to the test itself.

The test was designed for adults between the ages of 20 and 65 who do not have any medical conditions. If your heart rate reads normally but the test still fails, it may be due to a cardiac arrhythmia. Some types of cardiac arrhythmias can cause abnormal heartbeat intervals, which will also lead to test failure. These types of arrhythmias include atrial fibrillation, atrioventricular conduction block, and sinus arrhythmia.

However, healthy people can in some cases be prone to arrhythmia, which leads to test failure. This situation is rare and most often associated with the fact that a person is under the influence of stress. In this case, it is necessary to repeat the test at a time when you are less exposed to stress or when the effect of stress has passed. Sometimes the test in a sitting position reduces the arrhythmia and the test can be successfully performed.

Translation: Max Vasiliev, 2014

For those who seek to improve their athletic performance, it is very important to choose the right training program, which will determine the further optimal development of the athlete. In an age of rapidly developing professional sports, where a lot of money is spinning, it is also important to make the right bets when choosing promising athletes.

But how to do that? Perspective cannot be touched by hands. Muscle elasticity and many body abilities also cannot be measured, and here the definition of VO 2 max indicator comes to the fore, because it is he who gives a considerable idea of \u200b\u200bthe athlete's capabilities.

In CrossFit, this is also very useful information, because it becomes possible to competently build and analyze training processes. In that sports direction, as in any sport, first of all, health should be considered, and the determination of VO 2 max in each person plays a very important role.

VO 2 max in athletes and ordinary people

VO 2 max is the body's ability to absorb and assimilate oxygen, and this indicator is measured in milliliters per minute per kilogram of body weight. The average non-athletic person has a VO2 max of about 45 ml/kg/min. For women, this figure is less by about 15%. For comparison, professional athletes absorb up to 100 ml of oxygen per kilogram.

Someone runs cross-country daily, not suspecting that the efficiency of his training is relatively low. Someone you know can easily box for 15 rounds, training in a similar way, but this someone can’t stand even ten at this pace. Why is this happening? Genetics, you say. Alas, this is so, the scientists answer, but more on this later.

In addition, there is more bad news. Children not only inherit VO2 max from their parents, but even the ability to develop it (about the most effective ways we will also discuss below).

Can VO2 max be improved?

At the beginning of the 2000s, scientists from Norway conducted the largest experiment that has ever been related to research related to VO 2 max. More than 4.5 thousand men and women took part in it, as a result of which it was found that each person at some stage of his training can come to a very good indicator. Yes, he can't compare to a professional athlete, but his VO2 max can easily reach 70 and even 80 ml/kg/min.

In these studies, it was also found that exercise significantly reduces the likelihood of diseases associated with the cardiovascular system.

Thus, the determining factor for the development of this key indicator will be the specificity, focus of training, as well as their correct construction.

How to improve VO2 max?

In 1996-1997, the world saw an article published by a Japanese scientist, whose name is Izumi Tabata. It was he who laid the foundation for the development of the notorious training formula for today. The research of a doctor from Japan set goals for the possibility of improving metabolic performance and increasing the degree of oxygen uptake by muscles with the help of active loads.

During the experiments, it was found that the interval load (20 seconds burst, 10 seconds rest) effectively improves key performance indicators in regular workouts within a few weeks.

As we have already said, Norwegian scientists claim the possibility of improving VO 2 max. And in methods, they are unanimous with Izumi Tabata, pointing to interval training, which is crossfit in all its directions. There are many options for building interval training. As a running program Special attention you should pay attention to the fartlek - here training can become not only effective, but also exciting.

If we are talking, for example, about a runner, then you can improve your skills by explosive sprints uphill or up stairs in interval mode (I described detailed schemes in one of the articles on types of interval training).

Also, the training program should include strength exercises, since it is they who develop muscles, while increasing the capillary network for transporting oxygen, which ultimately leads to the possibility of improving VO 2 max. This issue is especially true for those who cannot boast of genetic "open spaces".

Don't forget about regular cardio workouts too, which are the foundation of any sport and cardiovascular health. Knowing VO 2 max allows you to individually build crossfit workouts, varying and shifting emphasis between aerobic and anaerobic exercises.

Afterword

No need to look for reasons to blame nature. The human body has a lot of reserves, and someone is given one, and someone else. After all, it would be boring for big boys to live if the smaller ones did not have their advantages. The trick is that these benefits only need to be developed, as can VO 2 max.

In CrossFit, you can pull heavy weights, but fall behind in jumping, running, and coordination. In martial arts, size to a large extent determines the possibilities, but large guys in the ring or on the wrestling mat still move slower than small ones. Yes, the first ones are always stronger, but this is absolutely no reason to score on your development, reproaching nature for something.

crossfit, boxing, wrestling, Athletics- it doesn't matter - everywhere there are heights that require hard work to achieve. It is important to find motivation, which will determine the desire to achieve these heights.

Do it for the benefit of the soul and health, and do it wisely.

Without modern knowledge about the work and functioning of the human body during maximum loads it is impossible for any athlete to succeed in sports, especially in running.

Knowledge about VO2max is necessary not only for athletes, but also for ordinary people, since this indicator reveals the secrets of the health status of any person on this moment, the capabilities of the body, its ability to long life.

What is vo2 max?

VO2 Max is defined as the maximum amount of oxygen your body can take in, deliver, and use in one minute. It is limited by the amount of oxygen in the blood that the lungs and circulatory system can process and the amount of oxygen the muscles can extract from the blood.

The name means: V - volume, O 2 - oxygen, max - maximum. VO 2 max is expressed either as an absolute rate of liters of oxygen per minute (l/min) or as a relative rate in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (eg ml/(kg min)). The latter expression is often used to compare the endurance performance of athletes

What does he characterize?

VO2max is a measure of the maximum rate at which an athlete's body is able to absorb oxygen during a particular operation, adjusted for body weight.

It is estimated that VO2 Max decreases by about 1% per year.

A high VO2max is important because it is closely related to the distance covered by the subject. Studies have shown that VO2max accounts for roughly 70 percent of race performance success among individual runners.

So if you are able to run 5000m one minute faster than I can, it is likely that your VO2max is higher than mine by an amount that is sufficient to account for 42 seconds of that minute.

There are two main factors that contribute to high VO2max. One is a strong oxygenation transport system, which includes a powerful heart, blood hemoglobin, high blood volume, high capillary density in muscle, and high mitochondrial density in muscle cells.

The second speed is the ability to contract a large number of muscle fibers at the same time, since the more muscle tissue active at any given time, the more oxygen the muscles consume.

This makes VO2 Max a critical sign of aging that we can measure and improve with the right aerobic workout. To do this you must raise your heart rate to between 65 and 85 percent of your maximum through aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes, three or five times a week.

The difference in performance between ordinary people and athletes

At ordinary people in men aged 20-39 years, VO2max averages from 31.8 to 42.5 ml / kg / min, and in runners of the same age, VO2max indicators average up to 77 ml / kg / min.

Untrained girls and women tend to have maximum oxygen uptake 20-25% lower than untrained men. However, when comparing elite athletes, the gap tends to be close to 10%.

Going further, VO2 max is adjusted for fat-free mass in elite male and female athletes, the difference disappearing in some studies. Sex-specific essential fat stores are hypothesized to account for most of the metabolic differences in running between men and women.

In general, the decrease in age-related VO2 max can be explained by a decrease in maximum heart rate, maximum blood volume, and maximum a-VO2 difference, that is, the difference between the oxygen concentration in arterial blood and venous blood.

How is Vo2 max measured?

Accurate measurement of VO2 max involves physical effort of sufficient duration and intensity to fully load the aerobic energy system.

In general clinical and athletic testing, this typically includes a differentiated exercise test (either on a treadmill or on a bicycle ergometer) in which exercise intensity is gradually increased while measuring: ventilation and oxygen, and carbon dioxide concentrations in inhaled and exhaled air .

VO 2 max is reached when oxygen consumption remains stable despite an increase in work volume.
VO 2 max is correctly determined by the Fick equation:
VO2max=Q x (CaO2-CvO2)

these values are obtained during exercise at maximum effort, where Q is the cardiac output of the heart, C O 2 is the arterial oxygen content, and C V O 2 is the venous oxygen content.

(C O 2 - C v O 2) is also known as the arteriovenous oxygen difference.

In running, it is usually determined by a procedure known as a test. additional exercises, in which the athlete breathes into a tube, and the device with a tube collects and measures exhaled gases while running on a treadmill, where

the tape speed or gradient gradually increases until the athlete reaches fatigue. Max Speed The oxygen consumption recorded in this test will be the VO2max of the runner.

Calculation of VO 2 Max without fitness testing.

To determine your heart rate without a monitor, place two fingers against the artery on the side of your neck, just below your jaw. You should be able to feel your heartbeat on your fingers. Set a timer for 60 seconds and count the number of beats you feel

This is your heart rate (heart rate) in beats per minute (BPM). Calculate your maximum heart rate. The most common way to calculate your maximum heart rate is by subtracting your age from 220. If you are 25 years old, your HR max = 220 -25 = 195 beats per minute (bpm).

Let's define VO 2 max with a simple formula. The simplest formula to calculate VO 2 max VO 2 max = 15 x (HR max / HR rest). This method is considered good when compared with other general formulas.

Calculate VO2 max. Your use of rest and maximum heart rate is already determined, you can plug these values into the formula and calculate VO 2 max. Let's say your resting heart rate is 80 beats per minute and your maximum heart rate is 195 beats per minute.

Write the formula: VO 2 max = 15 x (HR max / HR rest)
Connect values: VO 2 max = 15 x (195/80).
Solve: VO 2 max = 15 x 2.44 = 36.56 ml/kg/min.

How to Improve Your VO2max

A quick way to improve VO2max is to run for about six minutes at the fastest pace you can sustain during that time. So you could do a VO2max workout that consisted of a 10 minute warm up, a six minute run, and a 10 minute cool down.

But this is not the best way to prepare VO2max, as you can get very tired after a six-minute effort. It is better to do several fewer efforts at the same or slightly higher intensity, separated by recovery periods, as this allows the athlete to use more of the total time at 100 percent VO2max before reaching exhaustion. Another option is to add intensity back just a little, and run slightly longer intervals.

Start with 30/30 intervals. After warming up for at least 10 minutes with light jogging, work hard for 30 seconds at your fastest pace. Then slow down to easy Good way enter VO2max training into your program with 30/30 and 60/60 intervals. Continue alternating fast and slow 30-second bursts until you've completed at least 12 and then 20 of each.

Some time ago we smart watch Withings, who learned how to measure the level of VO2 max. If you're serious about fitness, you've probably come across these terms at some point in your training. But what does it mean?

VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen a person can use. In other words, it is a measurement of your ability to consume oxygen. In addition, this is a great way to determine the strength of the cardiovascular system. People with a high VO2 max have better blood circulation, which means it is more efficiently distributed to all the muscles involved in physical activity.

How VO2 max is measured

This indicator is the sum of the number of milliliters of oxygen consumed per minute per body weight. Professional athletes pass this test in special laboratories on a treadmill. During the test, the amount of oxygen required by the athlete is determined, including in those moments when the intensity of the load increases. The process usually takes about 10-15 minutes.

For the Withings Steel HR Sport, VO2 max is determined using data from your workout speed and heart rate.

Highest VO2 max

The highest figure was recorded by cyclist Oskar Svendzen, he was 97.5 ml / kg / min. Generally, top scores show representatives of those sports that require special endurance. Statistically, rowers and runners have the most high level V02 max among other athletes.

What affects V02 max

Genetics play an important role physical training. However, there are several other factors that determine a person's VO2 max to some extent.

Gender: Generally, women have about 20% lower VO2 max than men.
Height: The shorter a person is, the higher his performance.
Age: The maximum level is fixed at the age of 18 to 25, after which it decreases.

You can also improve your V02 max by increasing the duration and intensity of your workout, or by simply starting to exercise if you haven't already. And as you become more experienced, you need to gradually increase the intensity of your workouts.

There is a question regarding VO2max. For elite cyclists, this figure is very high, how to achieve higher oxygen consumption? Are there any special workouts for developing VO2max? After all, the more oxygen I can consume, the faster I will go.

The topic of the IPC is very interesting and not so extensively described on this blog, I will correct it. The title of this post is very embellished, in the sense that I know very little about oxygen consumption in order to go deep into this issue. Just this superficial knowledge, now I will share with you.

First, for those who don't know - VO2max = IPC = Maximum oxygen consumption. From now on I will use the term IPC. MIC is the maximum amount of oxygen that human body can be used per unit of time. You can count the volume of the MIC in ml / min, an ordinary healthy person, not an athlete, is able to consume 3 - 3.5 liters / min., While in athletes, the MIC sometimes reaches 6 liters / min. It would be more correct to consider the IPC not in ml / min, but in ml / min / kg, in this calculation the weight of a person will be taken into account, which can be very important, because if a 50-kg athlete has an IPC of X liters / min and he will be a high-class athlete, then for a 100-kilogram athlete, X liters / min will no longer be enough to achieve the same results in his weight category. This is explained by the fact that the main consumer of oxygen in physical work is the muscles. It goes without saying that a “centner” person has more muscles than his lightweight counterpart.

How does a person consume oxygen? Of course, the main source of oxygen is the air we breathe. The air contains about 21% oxygen, the value may vary. For example, the IPC in the mountains will be lower than in the lowlands. With each breath, oxygen enters the lungs, where it binds to the protein hemoglobin, which carries oxygen through the bloodstream throughout the body. As it travels throughout the body, hemoglobin brings oxygen to where it is needed. muscle fiber. The end consumer of oxygen is mitochondria, in the presence of a number of fats or glucose, the mitochondrion destroys them (this process is impossible without the participation of oxygen) generating energy.

Now that we more or less understand what oxygen is for and how it is used in the body, we can ask the question: do we have enough oxygen, is oxygen a limiting factor in achieving the best sports results? There is no single answer for any person. If there are a lot of mitochondria, at the same time, the number of muscles simultaneously involved in the work is also large, and if these muscles are also large, then we can assume that there will be a lack of oxygen. What to do in such a situation to increase the IPC? There are two ways to increase the BMD - increase hemoglobin, then it can bind more oxygen to itself in one breath; the second option is to stretch the heart, increasing blood flow. In other words, either increase the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood, or the speed of its transportation.

Now, as regards the IPC problems. For most, it is simply far-fetched, the average body supplies itself with oxygen with a margin. And here lies one giant delusion inherent in many athletes and amateurs. They believe that during intensive work, when an athlete begins to breathe heavily, the heart is to blame, which allegedly is no longer able to provide his oxygen needs, and they call this moment the moment of the onset of the IPC, which is another deep delusion. The moment when an athlete begins to breathe heavily, and his muscles begin to acidify, is called anaerobic threshold. This means that all the mitochondria of the working muscles are already included in the work, there are no more "free" ones, at this moment the second method of energy generation is activated - anaerobic. The anaerobic mode of energy generation does not require oxygen, however, " side effect”, if you can call it that, during anaerobic energy generation, hydrogen ions become. It is because of hydrogen ions that a person begins to breathe heavily, and not at all because he does not have enough oxygen, or his heart cannot cope. The heart really starts to work like crazy, it can be reduced to 200 beats / min. and more, but only because it tries to remove hydrogen ions, in the meantime, calcium pumps are blocked and power drops rapidly.

There are people with a heart: outstanding, ordinary and bad. An outstanding heart is a heart with a huge stroke volume, a bad heart is a heart with a very small stroke volume. A bad and outstanding heart is extremely rare. A person with an outstanding heart should choose a sport where many muscles work at once, its advantages lie in this niche: running, swimming, ski race, skating. Cycling does not apply to such sports where, in order to achieve high score an outstanding heart is required. Therefore, for runners, swimmers and others, if the IPC begins to limit them, it makes sense to change the sport to cycling, or some other where few muscles work at the same time.

Have I answered all the questions? In order not to miss anything, once again in brief: how to achieve a higher IPC? - Stretch the heart, but if it does not limit you, then the occupation is meaningless, for the long term, you first approach it. Special training for the IPC? “Again, stretching the heart. You can also train in the mountains to increase hemoglobin levels. However, MIC is just a bar, your limit, to which you need to work long and hard on muscle and mitochondrial accumulation in order to achieve MIC at anaerobic threshold.