Modern Training Article

From Jim Galanes, Olympic Skier from Anchorage, founder APU Ski Program, Aug 7 2019

EPOC Performance Training

Published by Jim Galanes · 1 min ·

Todays Stream of Consciousness

What I am going to present in this post is a simplified training philosophy that will lead to improvement. I will be discussing the primary element of all endurance training, endurance and capacity or VO2max training, along with key elements of volume, strength, and speed.

Coaches talk a lot about the importance of well implemented training, not going too hard in distance training, going hard enough in high intensity training, doing the right amount of high intensity training and speed training, and doing the proper volume of training relative to your training experience, fitness and age. All these concepts may seem rather confusing, but they are not.

Purposeful training should be reduced to the primary key elements. This will help you understand what is working, the effect it had, and what may not be working.

My views on training are formed from more than 30 year of experience. I have tried every theory under the sun. Many of those theories or principals remain common today. Many of those theories were never scientifically validated because we were lacked the simply tools that would make that possible. Many current training theories remain nothing more than theories because coaches do not have sufficient data to validate their methodology. Training theories are most valuable when they are validated by data that demonstrates measurable improvement in fitness and performance.

I believe training should produce continual measurable improvement. If that is not happening, then the training is not working for you. Period. Full stop.

The first primary element of energy systems training is endurance training or base building in some people’s language. Endurance training is first and foremost because it is required to develop the peripheral systems at the local level of the muscles and the metabolic energy systems to be able to adapt to high intensity training, This base training is 75-85% of the total time spent training. If this training is implemented poorly the effect is far-reaching.

The purpose of endurance training is to develop specific oxidative metabolic pathways, fat metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, the development of capillaries and improvement in the size, the number and the efficiency of the mitochondria. Endurance training does not build strength or speed, but rather improves the rate of aerobic energy production that provides the energy to move faster. It is really a simple law, the more energy available to fuel muscle contractions the faster or longer we can go

GOING HARDER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER! The most common mistake in the implementation of endurance training is exercising at too high an intensity level. If you understand the purpose and methodology of endurance training, it is easy to see and understand that going harder produces no benefit. In fact, it will most likely have a negative impact on long term progress and performance.

This is because, even going a little too hard, begins to shift the energy metabolism more to the carbohydrate side of the equation and greatly reduces the utilization of FFA, Free Fatty Acids, as an energy source. Testing has demonstrated that in many athletes there is very low FFA utilization at even very low intensities. Further, great improvement in FFA utilization can occur after only a few months of proper training. In real terms the more FFA’s we utilize for energy, the more we spare glycogen stores, the more totally energy we have available in the hard efforts, and the less stress and inflammation we have fromm training.

Athletes are tempted to go too hard in their endurance training. This lack of patience is a serious training flaw. It is mentally challenging to do 70-80-90% of our training easy, but if done right, the speed of distance/endurance training improves steadily over time. Research and heart rate variability data demonstrates that the optimal intensity for endurance training is about 65-70% of maximum heart rate. Many athletes go much harder than this day in and day out. They seem to make significant gains over the first 2-6months. It is clear, however, that they pay a price for short terms gain.

* The development of a balanced aerobic energy system is compromised, that is important for long term fitness development.

* Chronic glycogen depletion is likely to occur as a result of a shift in dominate energy systems which is precursor to over-training

* Recovery is inconsistent and erratic and not consistently related to training load.

* It is very difficult to manage performance, predict performance readiness, or have stable and consistently improving performance. In other words, it becomes difficult to perform in a predictable way on day to day basis.

* Fitness and performance improve rapidly in the short term 2-3 months, but then may plateau or decline.

Peak performance or performance potential is never reached.

The second primary element is High Intensity/VO2max training. This training is focused on improving one’s aerobic capacity and the speed one can sustain at VO2max. The total number of sessions will vary depending on the age, the training history and the fitness of the athlete. For most athletes they should strive for a starting point of about 50 high intensity sessions per year, including races. A general range is 15-25% of your total training session. For most athletes at the start of the training season the ratio of hard to easy might be 85/15 and progressing to 80/20 as the training season progresses. From our extensive experience doing more than 20-25% of your training sessions at high intensity will be risky and can lead to over training or at a minimum no adaptation to the additional training load.

The intensity and dose of high intensity training is again very important. The optimal intensity range is greater than 90% of maximal heart rate and VO2max. Some athletes particularly young athlete may not have an adequate aerobic fitness or may be deficient in power output and therefore cannot reach the 90% level. In these cases the focus in training for a period should be primarily on the proper intensity of endurance training so the muscles are not depleted and fatigued and the aerobic energy systems are improved. It may also be necessary to improve strength, power and speed so that the muscles can create enough load to reach the optimal levels.

As with endurance training the accrued training effects are a result of time spent in the specific metabolic state. In the case of high intensity VO2max training it is better to go at 90% of MHR for longer durations than go for shorter durations at 95% of MHR.

What are the benefits of VO2max, High Intensity Training?

*Increase VO2max or at a minimum the speed that can be sustained at VO2max.

* Develop aerobic capacity, the maximal rate of oxygen utilization to produce energy

* Improve the sustainable pace/intensity.

*Improve mitochondrial and capillary density and function.

The Key Elements

The volume of training or the distance trained is regularly used as a surrogate for training work load. This measure is inaccurate or incomplete. Because of this volume centric approach runners and cyclist think in terms of miles, skiers in terms of time, and uphill athletes in terms of vertical. None of these methods accurately describe workload. Every mile or hour trained has a different characteristic depending upon the terrain, intensity, speed, and external conditions.

Thinking in terms of volume also has another effect, particularly on young athletes. Specifically, they hear “X” athletes does so many hours or miles of training and they mistakenly draw the conclusion that is what they need to do to get even better. Or worse yet, a coach gets hold of them and says you are really good, now lets start training more. When the reality is, they need to train enough to make continual improvement, not more, not less. In real terms if this philosophy if adhered to athletes will training enough and their training loads will increase from year to year.

Speed/ Reserve= The difference between a 10-15 seconds max velocity, and the sustainable velocity for a maximal ~6-minute effort. Speed reserve should be short/long should be (?????_approximately 1.5 or greater. If the speed reserve is less than 1.5 than performance improvement will be limited because the muscles can not produce the power required to improve capacity.

Speed training is very important for all endurance athletes. Traditionally, endurance coaches used to suggest athletes perform “pickups” during distance training in order to develop and improve speed. It is clear now that this approach is not optimal. Performing speed within a distance workout alters the metabolic effect of a workout. It results in a energy system shift. Speed training should be implemented as a separate workout, independent of endurance workouts. Or alternatively, for example, after a 60-90-minute endurance workout.

Speed workouts= 20 second repeats, full power, 4-6 per set, 2-3 sets.

Strength trainings should be effectively implemented for all age of athletes. It is not possible to demonstrate good form or technique in the absence of adequate strength. In all endurance sports strength training should be implemented prior to extensive work on technique or form.

Training needs to be implemented correctly. One needs to pay close attention to the proper intensity for endurance and aerobic capacity training. There needs to be a specific, planned balance between endurance and capacity training, and there must be measurable improvement in fitness every one to two weeks. The they key elements must be added to the training and balanced depending on the individual needs.