Adaptive Training Progression Level decline

Training
1

I successfully completed a 5.8 V02 Max workout 3 weeks ago that pushed my V02 Max Progression Level to 6.1. Since then, I haven’t done any V02 Max workouts. I did do one Anaerobic workout the week after that and some Threshold & Sweet Sport workouts since then.

Now 3 weeks later, my V02 Max Progression Level is still 6.1. Aren’t Progression Levels supposed to steadily decline if you don’t do workouts focusing on those energy systems? I have an Adaptive Training scheduled 6.2 V02 Max workout for tomorrow, and am wondering if it will be too difficult given the number of weeks since focusing on that system.

2

Interesting! Nate said in the first podcast that levels would decline over time without specifying any factor.

It would be reasonable to presume vo2max to decline faster than say endurance or sweet spot.

3

Interesting observation. When I travelled this summer and was forced to move to outdoor rides completely, all my PLs started declining. What is different in your case is that you kept doing workouts in adjacent zones (threshold and anaerobic). Pretty sure that is why your VO2 max PL did not change. Are the PLs in those two zone higher than your VO2 max PL?
Also have seen that an improvement in one zone can lead to a (smaller) uptick in an adjacent zone.

1 Like
4

“Are the PLs in those two zone higher than your VO2 max PL?”

I believe these other zones (Anerobic & Threshold) increased as would be expected for the previously
completed workouts.

In general, I’ve observed that AT is very strict in how levels only get impacted by workouts for the same energy system. For example, if you only do threshold workouts, only threshold levels go up. I have not observed other adjacent levels increase. I could see that it is possible that even if adjacent PLs don’t increase for a given workout, that they may decline less even if you don’t do workouts focusing on them.

What would really be interesting is if you could view historical PL’s per date so you could more closely analyze how time off impacts your various PL’s (Feature request!!!).

5

Also as a side note, I crushed my 6.2 V02 Max workout this morning, so maybe AT really does know what it is doing!

1 Like
7

I still find the VO2 declines are too quick…or they definitely are for me. I just looked at my VO2 levels. Last VO2 ride was August 23rd at PL 4.5. My PL levels today on Sept 8th shows 3.6. There is still a definite decline going on. It is too soon in my view.