That Triathlon Show | EP#169 - FTP, VO2max and VLaMax

2 makes it easier to digest, this physiology stuff can be tricky for a science-less guy like me :upside_down_face: but still extremely interesting

I usually listen to podcasts in the carā€¦ but now I am hardly driving to work. Splitting it up matters not to me since thereā€™s no situation where Iā€™d be able to listen to either the half or whole episode in one setting.

Thanks for coming back. Little misunderstanding here I suppose.

What I meant was:
Does this imply that there could be any state where an athlete with pure goal of raising FTP would get prescribed / benefit more from a training that raises VlaMax? If so what would that situation look like?

I guess not, or can you imagine a scenario for that?

Raising VLaMax would never directly raise threshold, but threshold isnā€™t everything and there are certainly scenarios where VLaMax may be too low, even for triathletes/TTers/GC contenders.

Plus, depending on the makeup of the individual athlete, it is plausible that e.g. HIIT training could raise their VLaMax as a side effect of trying to increase VO2max. That too could be ok, even if the end goal is to raise FTP. Then the athlete just need to try to decrease VLaMax again after that period of raising VO2max (and VLaMax, inadvertently).

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Iā€™d prefer one episode as it helps with continuity but if itā€™s two itā€™s not to much of an issue.

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If one or two episodes doesnā€™t matter to meā€¦listening either way! (Maybe just go with 2 if thatā€™s better for you (time buffer for next episodes) or with regard to the sponsorships.)

2 episodes would get my vote if as someone noted there is a natural break in it

I would love one episode as Iā€™ll want to hear the whole lot once I start.

That Triathlon Show is one of the best podcasts out there and I really like hearing any discussions involving Sebastian Weber.

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One ep is my vote so I can soak in as much info as possible.

One big area that I hope is answered in the podcast is periodisation. In the Olbrect ep he says you cannot work on power and capacity at the same time. Am I right in thinking that capacity is VO2 and power is Reducing VLa max?

My issue is that I have a high vla max but I am still away from best my Vo2 max values. So do I need to wait until vo2 max is highest before starting with training that lowers vla max (eg sweetspot / threshold / low cadence )?

All at once. I hate cliff hangers!!

Tnx for the nice podcast - always enjoy them.

Leads to the question of what HIIT workouts are best at raising VO2max but not VLaMax?

Eg are longer VO2max intervals at lower intensity (eg 5 min intervals at 108%) better than shorter intervals and higher intensity (eg 30 seconds at 130%, 15 seconds rest)?

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Iā€™m curious whether there are any (other than long slow distance of course :))

in any of these interval schemes, as i understand it, your glycolitic system is fired up breaking glycogen and making lactate for your aerobic system to burn.

My guess (and curious what Mikael thinks here) is that your best bet would not be ā€œtraditionalā€ vo2max intervals, but rather something like longer intervals (7 to 10 minutes), above threshold but not much above, with very short rest periods. By the end of the workout you would have spent a lot of time at Vo2max but without super high power.

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Paul laursen the HIT expert says that micro intervals are more aerobic and produce less net lactate than longer (2-5 mins reps).
In a 30/30 vo2 session I feel much less stress than a 4 x 4 mins or 10 x 2 mins.
But I do not know the definitive answer and I would like to know what is the most effective way to raise Vo2 without raising vla max.
Or is it just that you can only do one thing at a time and need to move onto a vla lowering block of training after you have maximised vo2.

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In this podcast Paul Laursen talks about how short 30/30 intervals donā€™t actually have a high blood lactate response. This would, presumably, blunt their effect on VLaMax. the particular section is at about 25 minute in.

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In TTS #198 with Jan Olbrech, itā€™s mentioned the relationship between swim intervals and cycling intervals (e.g., 150m swim interval = 90sec bike).

Skimming the episode back, I canā€™t find the comment - anyone help? Or do I have to listen to the whole thing againā€¦which I donā€™t mind as itā€™s fascinating stuff.

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interesting. not what i would have thought!

Me neither

Dan Lorang has his long distance triathletes start their major race prep block with the short and fast vo2 raising work. Then goes in to focusing on extending duration of race pace intervals. At least the way I understand the interview. In the later blocks, heā€™s got them doing sustained hills, low cadence work, and a bit of low carb work. Sounds like itā€™s changing focus based on distance to goal event (and demands of event). For me, Iā€™m trying to do mostly the opposite, focus on TTE/mid zone work on off season and sharpen up with the short and really hard stuff just prior to main event/season.

For me, it seems like my best response has been to hard/short intervals. But not to a pre-set pace or anythingā€¦ All just by RPE. My strength numbers suggest Iā€™m fast-twitch dominant, and I have a VLaMax tested last winter of 0.55, which is on the high end.

Based on my INSCYD testing my coach had me doing one of the following intervals once per week:

30/30s (3 sets of 12)
30/15s (3 sets of 12)
6x5min intervals where Iā€™d do 2x (30sec @ 130% - 60sec @ 98%) + 1 x (30sec @ 130% - 90sec @ 98%)

This was during the phase where I was attempting to lower my VLamax.

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Were you also doing sweetspot work to lower the vla max or is that a different block?