Jerryc wrote:
Quote:
don't we simply want to minimize VLAmax since it is at the expense of aerobic mechanismsMaybe Sebastian will reply and is certainly much more knowledgeable than I am. If VLamax was close to zero, the athlete would be slower because little pyruvate/lactate would be produced and it would force the muscles to use only fat. Fat metabolizes much slower than pyruvate/lactate in aerobic metabolism. So a moderate level of glycolysis is necessary for speed in a race for this reason. Also glycolysis is necessary for sudden bursts of speed in a cycling race and at the end of an event for sprints in close endurance races.
So the energy needs of the athlete determines how strong the VLamax should be for the race. Sebastian discusses this in one of his VELO podcasts http://bit.ly/2Y49UTG
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This x 1000! "Fat metabolizes much slower than pyruvate" (i.e. the end product of the breakdown of glucose)
Very low VLamax = very low ability to generate energy from carbohydrate.
Even in an Ironman, at competitive levels, Carbohydrate oxidation is an important contributor to the required power output because it is simply faster than fat oxidation, i.e. fat oxidation alone simply isn't fast enough to keep up with competitive levels of output. I talked a bit more about the importance of having all systems contributing to performance at elite levels in this post...
https://www.alancouzens.com/...tburning_test_2.html
But the summary is - at high levels of performance, a competitive Ironman needs both energy sources - Fat Oxidation ~7-10kcal/min *AND* CHO oxidation of ~7-10kcal/min, i.e. all energy systems have a role to play, it's just the *balance* that shifts depending on the event and the individual.
Alan Couzens, M.Sc. (Sports Science)
Exercise Physiologist/Coach
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alan_Couzens
Web: https://alancouzens.com
Last edited by:
Alan Couzens: May 13, 19 13:18