What do my results mean?

El Vino

I recently participated in a study for the Sports Science Department at my local University. I have been given the results and a comparison with the other people on the study (all supposedly cyclists) Is there anyone on the forum who knows enough about this area read the results and interpret them and perhaps suggest where I could target for improvement?

They are
VO2 Max - 53.4 (mL∙Kg-1∙min-1)
Lactate threshold - VO2 /3517 HR / 161 bpm Power - 248W

Anerobic capacity (ml of ‘O2 equivalents’) 46.14 (120% of maximal) Time to exhaustion 1.81 mins, power 423W

Body fat - 8.6%

Weight 75kg

Thanks in advance EV

Lumen

The only thing that's obvious is that your body fat measurement is low. Mine was measured (in a lab) at 10.6% and I was told that I didn't need to be any lighter given the sort of racing I was doing (club league and a bit of A4).

Your power numbers are quite low compared to (say) a competitive club cyclist, at least when compared to your lean mass.

This may mean you have loads of useless muscle.

It's difficult to say much more without knowing more about what sort of cycling you do and what your goals are.

Lumen

If the question is "how would I do in a race?" I can probably answer that.

In a couple of A4 races I did this year I was getting tailed off climbs after putting out 340W for 5 minutes at 68kg. That's 5W/kg for 5 minutes.

If your threshold power is 248W and you run out of suffering after 1.81 minutes @ 423W, that indicates that you have 316Wmin of anaerobic capacity.

On that same climb, at 75kg you would need to be doing 75*5 = 375W. Your threshold and anaerobic capacity would allow you to sustain this for two and a half minutes.

In other words you'd be dropped half way up the climb.

On the other hand there is a theory that races become easier as the season goes on because the fast lads get promoted, so my data may not be that indicative.

levitronix

lumen is bang on
Im 75kg and anything over 10mins at 350 ish watts getts me dropped, but decent 0-2min power keeps me in the hunt on short climbs and good legs for the gallop

Beasty

Let me put it this way, if you are a 50 year old leisure cyclist with no racing experience and able to deliver those figures I would be saying "Wow!!:D"

If you are a 20 year old who trains for racing for 20 hours a week I would actually be saying "Wow!!:("

El Vino

I'm a 42 year old with no racing experience, do 3 or 4 120km plus Sportives per year, just did the Etape without any real problems - time 8h 42m for act 1. Definitely realise I'm underpowered as I struggle to maintain high speeds on the flat, stamina seems pretty good and I can spin away on the climbs. Commute 30km a day and maybe an hour of turbo once a week.
Would like to develop a bit more speed and perhaps try a few TTs or even race.

Lumen

Intervals will fix it.

fat and slow

I did a similar test last year. I'm a middle to front of the pack club limit rider comparable to A4 rider. My V02max results were average 10/21 for a group of trained competitive (a4-a1) cyclists. Except I have a lower bodyfat, am the tallest and heaviest and my lactate power to V02max power ratio was the highest of the group. I do fine in flat club races but struggle with hills.

Test results; age 25, weight 82.4kg, bodyfat 6.4% height 188.3. V02max 58.3
Power ouput at V02max 460, power output at lactate treshold 370.
Anaerobic 3mins at 95%V02max, rest for 15mins then 3mins 50 secs at 105%v02max

Lumen

FWIW I think that 'power output at VO2Max' is a meaningless measure without the duration specified, since maximum oxygen uptake can be elicited over various durations.

I have read opinions from sports scientists that VO2Max intervals, defined as intervals which elicit maximum O2 uptake, must be no shorter than 4 minutes. If this is true then I don't see how VO2 can be measured in a test shorter than 4 minutes. 1.8 minutes (ref. OP) seems very short indeed.

fat and slow

The 1.8mins was at a power 20% greater than his v02max. Notice in that anaerobic test he's not using his full V02 max capacity because a lot of his energy source is anaerobic. it's natural that he could not sustain that power for 4plus mins. But he probably could sustain his v02 max power for 4plus mins.
The tests he did were to assess his v02max, not to get the time limit he can sustain his v02max for, as lumen pointed out this is fairly important for staying in groups and working hard for several mins.

Lumen

fat and slow wrote: »

The 1.8mins was at a power 20% greater than his v02max. Notice in that anaerobic test he's not using his full V02 max capacity because a lot of his energy source is anaerobic. it's natural that he could not sustain that power for 4plus mins. But he probably could sustain his v02 max power for 4plus mins.
The tests he did were to assess his v02max, not to get the time limit he can sustain his v02max for, as lumen pointed out this is fairly important for staying in groups and working hard for several mins.

But there is no such thing as "VO2Max power". VO2Max is a measure of oxygen consumption, not power output.

fixie fox

El Vino wrote: »

I recently participated in a study for the Sports Science Department at my local University. I have been given the results and a comparison with the other people on the study (all supposedly cyclists) Is there anyone on the forum who knows enough about this area read the results and interpret them and perhaps suggest where I could target for improvement?

They are
VO2 Max - 53.4 (mL∙Kg-1∙min-1)
Lactate threshold - VO2 /3517 HR / 161 bpm Power - 248W

Anerobic capacity (ml of ‘O2 equivalents’) 46.14 (120% of maximal) Time to exhaustion 1.81 mins, power 423W
Body fat - 8.6%
Weight 75kg

Thanks in advance EV

The 'normative data' published here suggests that you are in the 'superior' range? Maybe I'm reading it wrong.

CillianL

I participated in research by Ciarán Keogh in the sports science lab just before the season started.

I'm 71kg and at the time my power to weight ratio was 3.2 watts/kg, my V02 max was 53ml/kg/min and my threshold power was 230 watts.

The figures you have are actually very good, for example amongst the average population a VO2 max of over 50ml/kg/min is outstanding even though at a competitive level its unimpressive.

Since then I've improved leaps and bounds so what I've found helped most was

1. Race lots, and at club level ride scratch rather than limit even if you get dropped.

2.Work on flexibility. This won't directly make you bang out more power but its very important for injury prevention which can destroy all your hard work.

3.Training at 85-100% of your max heart rate will improve your V02 max.

El Vino

The VO2 Max test was a ramp test, ran on a number of different sessions and in two different ways. In one the resistance increased by one watt equivalent every couple of seconds in the other one it went up by 10 watts every minute. The results were remarkably close across the tests and I had the gas mask on throughout the test. As I understand it the VO2 was calculated from these tests which took around 30 mins rather than being a single effort.
Thanks to everyone for their feedback

RobFowl

Bottom line you've low body fat and are fitter than average by a good bit.
You'll be well able to race at A3/4 level but would struggle at A2 or higher.

Greg LeMonds Vo2 max was reputed to be 92..........

Lumen

RobFowl wrote: »

You'll be well able to rave at A3/4 level but would struggle at A2 or higher.

I wouldn't want to put anyone off, but there's no way that a sub-250W threshold at over 70kg is good enough even for competitive A4 racing.

It's not all about threshold - I race with someone who can do a 25m TT with no aero gear (other than clip-ons) in a fraction over 60 minutes but can't jump across to a break, total diesel.

As for VO2Max numbers, mine were tested at 62 ml/kg/min and I got my arse kicked repeatedly in A4 this spring.

IMO based on the experiences of riders I know with powermeters the magic numbers for competitive non-elite racing (anywhere from A2-A4) are 300W sustained and 350W for VO2Max efforts, for riders in the normal weight range (70-80kg). The bodyweight then affects what sort of course you can compete on.

RobFowl

Lumen wrote: »

I wouldn't want to put anyone off, but there's no way that a sub-250W threshold at over 70kg is good enough even for competitive A4 racing.

It's not all about threshold - I race with someone who can do a 25m TT with no aero gear (other than clip-ons) in a fraction over 60 minutes but can't jump across to a break, total diesel.

As for VO2Max numbers, mine were tested at 62 ml/kg/min and I got my arse kicked repeatedly in A4 this spring.

IMO based on the experiences of riders I know with powermeters the magic numbers for competitive non-elite racing (anywhere from A2-A4) are 300W sustained and 350W for VO2Max efforts, for riders in the normal weight range (70-80kg). The bodyweight then affects what sort of course you can compete on.

I'm basing my answer more on the VO2 max which is generally less changeable than power outputs (i know there are exceptions and everyone is different etc). But Older and reasonably validated data suggests you need a Vo2 Max of 60-65 for the Old S2, 65 + for S1 and an mimimum of 75 to be an elite (Vo2 max does discriminate as a measure against lighter smaller riders so thats where you get the odd exception).

Lumen

RobFowl wrote: »

I'm basing my answer more on the VO2 max which is generally less changeable than power outputs (i know there are exceptions and everyone is different etc). But Older and reasonably validated data suggests you need a Vo2 Max of 60-65 for the Old S2, 65 + for S1 and an mimimum of 75 to be an elite (Vo2 max does discriminate as a measure against lighter smaller riders so thats where you get the odd exception).

Ah, OK.

I think you've mapped S2->A2 and extrapolated downwards for A3 and A4.

I don't think that's how the categories have worked out.

RobFowl

Lumen wrote: »

Ah, OK.

I think you've mapped S2->A2 and extrapolated downwards for A3 and A4.

I don't think that's how the categories have worked out.

I have and you're prob right. I find the A4 a lot easier that the old S3/V/J races and my Vo2max has moved from 54-67 depending on my weight (and age !).