Online Bike Coach

Where Cyclists and Triathletes get Faster/Stronger/Leaner/Sooner

The OBC Dicta

The OBC Dicta (or, The Nine Commandments for Peak Performance In Cycling).

*** I wrote the first version of this over twenty years ago, hoping that it would become the foundation for another book, but life and acceleration got in the way, and I just found it again in my Google Drive.

A ‘Dicta‘ is defined as a series of statements that are sort-of Universally Accepted Comments or Commandments. The following Principles are nothing new, but they need to be plastered on a wall or a screen somewhere, frequently, to remind you of the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ that we are doing at Online Bike Coach.

(By the way – the whole ‘Dicta’ theme is something I got from my interest in fighter aviation and history. It’s based on an early pioneer in fighter aviation and tactics, Oswald Boelke.

So in their entirety, and updated for relevance, I present my updated ‘OBC Dicta‘.

OBC Dicta #1: IMPROVE YOUR RELATIVE VO2 MAX (rVo2Max).

Garmin Vo2Max 1040
The type of work you do when cycling dictates the gains and losses of Vo2Max. The Garmin algorithm seems to track FAIRLY WELL for me, against the Vo2master gas exchange analyzer. ***What you don’t see in this chart is the subsequent DECLINE in VO2max in the following four weeks. Vo2max needs to rise and fall like a seasonal tide. As I write this, I’m at about 53ml/kg/min, but it’s January, and I’m working my way back up for spring.

Vo2max translated means “Maximal Volume of Oxygen Absorption”. When you study the number in a laboratory setting, it is translated into “milliliters of oxygen, per kilogram of body weight, per minute” (w/kg/min). So, it’s based on absorption of oxygen, weight, and time. When we perform intervals that are hard as heck, and last maybe 2 to 6 minutes, total, we’re working on optimizing rVo2max.

When you improve your ability to process oxygen, you actually improve your ability to create energy at the cellular level, and thus ride stronger and faster with the same, or even less effort. If you’re like most of us, and you need to lose a few pounds, well, that’ll only help. W/Kg Babeee!

OBC Dicta #2: Raise Your Wattage at Lactate Threshold (wLT), VT2 (Ventilatory Threshold Breakpoint 2), or Functional Threshold/Critical Power, to the highest feasible value, relative to body weight.

Garmin Connect FTP Chart
The way I describe FTP is as such: It’s the power and cardiovascular output, ABOVE WHICH, you are on ‘Borrowed Time’. This can be measured in minutes and seconds. BELOW this value, you can ride much longer. Raise this value through proper training and consistency. Your speed and stamina will improve significantly.

Raising your ability to generate power at Threshold does wonders for your body’s economy, not to mention increasing your ability to ride faster BELOW threshold, for longer periods of time. The old-school method of wLT training was to perform longer intervals, but, surprise!

Shorter, more intense intervals at wattage levels ABOVE Lactate Threshold generate these little molecules call “Monocarboxylate Transporters” – let’s just call them “MCT’s”. More MCT’s in the muscle cells allow your body to purge Lactic Acid from the muscles and into the bloodstream, where it is processed into other forms of useable energy.

How to make more MCT’s? Shorter, more intense intervals (about 2 minutes), with longer periods of recovery in between, about 4 minutes of just glass-pedaling.

OBC Dicta #3: Become as economical a cyclist as possible.

OBC Dicta Base Ride
Under Dr. Bruce Rogers‘ guidance, OBC Clients have had a lot of success with Luisma Gallego’s AlphaHRV Field on Garmin bike computers. Keeping Alpha1 ABOVE a certain value provides assurances that the heart is working efficiently, and you’re thus improving your economy. Do rides like THIS…

No, this doesn’t mean that you have to trade in your LandCruiser for a Hybrid Escape! What it does mean is that you want to save every KiloJoule of energy as possible. By ‘banking’ the KiloJoules, you’ll be ready when the action begins! How to increase your economy?

VOLUME.

OBC Dicta #3 Big Picture
…to get Volume that looks like THIS.

Let’s face it. Time spent on the bike is important, and there IS an aerobic benefit from Long Rides. Your support muscles learn how to suspend your body more efficiently, your legs learn when to pedal and when to coast, and your heart adapts to sustained effort by  growing stronger and more efficient, so that you get more out of every stroke. If you’re a serious cyclist in any of the 3 major disciplines (Road, Track, MTB), you’ll make an effort to perform sustained rides, or try to hit at least 6 hours a week riding “base”. That’s an hour a day, 6 days a week.

Got a job? Try 1 hour every other day, and make up the difference on the weekends. THEN, work on Dicta #1 & #2…

OBC Dicta #4: Recover Nutritionally, Hygienically, Physically, Psychologically, and Spiritually as quickly as possible after every ride.

OBC Dicta: Tracy Recovering with Maple
My first coach, Micah McKee, taught me, “Why stand when you can sit, why sit when you can lie down.” Here’s my wife, recovering with a compression apparatus and our younger Pibble, Maple.

Training can be hell on your body, mind, and spirit. It creates trauma, and the best way to minimize the trauma is through a protocol like this:

              • Drink a nutrient and calorie-dense Sports Nutrition Drink within 15 minutes of the end of your workout.
                This will help you recover more quickly, and move your body towards better adaptation to the loads you have
                just placed it under.
              • Shower off, towel off, hose off, scrub yourself down, brush your teeth, and then get back in to your ‘street’
                clothes. You’ll feel refreshed, minimize decay on your teeth, and you’ll either warm up or cool o, depending
                on your needs. You’ll also be dry, which will require less energy to keep warm.
              • Stretch or practice self-massage after every ride. It’ll help the recovery process, and un-knot those muscles
                you’ve been using so heavily. A regular massage from a professional can also enhance recovery and improve
                performance.

OBC Dicta #5: Blog the Process.

 

 

(Click on the image to get a look at my Notes for this ride…)

This has never been easier; Garmin Connect, Ride With GPS, Strava, and tons of others all have areas for post-ride comments. Upload photos, upload screenshots, link to videos, link friends who rode with you or know the route or the ride, and give yourself at least SIX SENTENCES to review the effort and reflect. You’ll appreciate flipping through those notes, I assure you. Use the hours after a ride to comment, reflect, inflect, and project your goals, attitude, highlights, and low points. You may be able to detect trends, which can then be addressed and strengthened or corrected.

OBC Dicta #6: Maintain Strong Bones and Muscles Through Consistent Resistance Training.

Tracy Christenson Resistance Training Book Cover
Shameless Plug; my wife wrote a book about using suspension straps and body weight, to improve fitness for cyclists. It’s cheap, it’s thorough, and it just takes a few minutes every other day.

There is no doubt that we, as endurance athletes, need resistance training to augment our aerobic conditioning. Why? Well, here’s one reason: Research has shown that cyclists tend to be built like birds. We’re prone to osteopenia and osteoporosis on the bones that lay ABOVE the hips, while the bones from the hips down tend to be MORE dense than the average population.

Also, one of the major reasons that cyclists tend to have lower bone densities is that we have the potential to use the calcium in our bones to augment our need for calcium in the muscles, thus robbing Peter to pay Paul. Resistance training, with proper loads and nutrition, will help offset that leaching. Furthermore, training the muscles to re in certain ways will definitely help you increase your performance on the bike. Lastly, it’s my belief that resistance training can help offset muscle fatigue, especially in the core and upper body.

OBC Dicta #7: Develop Explosive Force

Richard Wharton Gold Sprints
“Gold Sprints” REALLY HURT! At 60 seconds in length, they’re arguably too long, but they push past the 8-12 second mark for ATP-CP, and then they push through the PAINFUL 25-seconds of ANAEROBIA, before finally forcing you to hang on for another 35 seconds. It’s not just that max power that matters – it’s how you handle that power decay over time that leads to a rider ‘staying on’ for another challenger.

Every cycling discipline relies on Explosive Force – from the gate dropping in a BMX race, to dropping the hammer in a road race, to cleaning a section of difficult singletrack when mountain biking. Explosive Force is what helps you make a break happen, bridge to a break, and even sprint to the Finish line. The more explosive the Force, the quicker the acceleration. The longer the Explosive Force, the more you can drop your competition. There’s some methodology behind that sprint to the City Limits Sign, so whether you’re solo or in a group, keep it up, keep trying, and give it your all. It’ll yield great dividends.

OBC Dicta #8: Develop the Endurance and Efficiency that are SPECIFIC to Your Chosen Type of Cycling.

Richard and Ryan Seher Bozeman 2001
This is an older photo with one of my ‘kids’, Ryan Seher, when we did a 100-mile ride from the ‘B’ parking lot in Bozeman, out to Livingston, MT and then back along the Interstate. This was a COMPLETELY AEROBIC EVENT.

Road Rallies and Tours take 1-5 hours. Track races are rarely more than 25 minutes long. XC mountain bike races, even among the pros, are in the 90-minute range, and road races for amateurs are usually in the 1-to-3-hour range. Whatever the length of the ride, the more efficient you are at that distance or duration, AT PACE, the faster you’ll travel, with less effort. Again, this can be done on weekend rides, solo or in groups.

Whatever the distance or duration, economy matters, and the only way to do that is to train at that distance or greater, at a speed that’s compatible with your goals. 100 miles at 16mph is more effective than 60 miles at 19mph. Think about the longest organized ride you may do, and train at tempo wattage or pace for AT LEAST that distance, once or twice a week, maybe more, depending on the season. It also helps to train in environmental conditions that are similar to what you’ll experience out in the real world.

OBC Dicta #9: Train Both ALONE and IN GROUPS to Optimize Your Cycling Social Fitness, Your Cycling Mental Fitness, and Your Cycling Physical Fitness.

While a majority of your rides may be solo efforts, just due to work or family conflicts, it’s crucial to remember that cycling is a social sport, and on some levels, it’s a team sport. There are some things you just can’t learn alone in a parking lot, so use group rides to learn the nuanced, indescribable, yet crucial skills that are necessary to safe, effective rides in groups. All that efficiency will fall apart if you end up using your muscles to tense up, lock your jaw and neck, and pretend that you’re in the middle of a group of 18-wheelers bent on your imminent demise.

Find a group that meets your level of fitness and comfort, explain who you are and what you’re trying to accomplish, and ask for HELP. Furthermore, make sure you COMMUNICATE YOUR INTENTIONS. Letting others know where you’re going, what you’re doing, and how you’re doing it will make THEM more comfortable with YOU and will help everyone enjoy the ride more. Lastly, don’t let words or barbs at you, your riding skill level, or your equipment, translate into distraction or lost opportunity. If someone calls you a “squirrel”, ask that person for suggestions on how to avoid the title. It’ll either shut them up or atter them, and you’ll get the help you need. It won’t take long before YOU are the one dishing out the advice or making suggestions.

CONCLUSION

OBC Dicta - Welcome to the Cathedral of Watts
The main thing to take away from this image is this; when you follow the Dicta, you WILL see success. This image is on a Micro scale. The blog post is on a Macro scale. Be consistent, stay focused, be Holistic, and watch what happens.

I’m going to end with a poster that disappeared when I sold Cycling Center Dallas. However, it’s still relevant to this day. I’ve certainly mellowed over time, but the main takeaway is this; becoming a better cyclist takes YEARS. My friend, Craig Fulk, taught me the Parable of “How Do You Eat An Elephant?” “One Bite At A Time.”

Follow the Dicta, and let me show you where I can help you with that, on a Micro and a Macro Scale, and then…

ENJOY THE RIDE!

Vo2 at Threshold

Vo2 at Threshold – Affirming Outdoor Power at Threshold

Richard Wharton Vo2 at Threshold Online Bike Coach
Vo2 at Threshold can reveal a lot about how cardio-vascular fitness and status. The closer that number is to your Vo2Max, the better.

In my last blog post, I mentioned that for my best 10-minute effort while climbing a trail on a mountain bike, my Vo2 at Threshold read as roughly 55ml/kg/min. I also believed that my Vo2Max was roughly 62ml/kg/min. I was curious to see if these values were valid, so I went back indoors. At my home studio, I performed five weekly 20-minute efforts, specifically to determine whether those two values, Vo2 at Threshold, and Vo2Max, were accurate.

 

Percentage of Vo2Max When Cycling at Threshold Intensity

Different Metabolic Thresholds at a Percentage of Max Wattage
I’ve followed Jem Arnold for about a decade now, as he’s been involved in studying SmO2 for cyclists, as well as a lot of other things. This chart he presents, from a lecture, shows wide variation in ‘Thresholds’, where the body begins to migrate from mostly aerobic energy to anaerobic energy. This post is about Vo2 as a % of Max at Threshold.

There’s a lot of new information coming out about the determination of Training Zones. Essentially, each method of measurement tends to come up with its’ own value, and training zones are then based on those values. Let’s face it – Vo2 at Threshold is expensive to acquire, since it requires a Vo2Master, a Polar H10 chest strap, a Moxy, a Power Meter, and probably a Lactate Tester, which is a product I have owned in the past, but do not own at this time. Instead, I use the Moxy and other readings from the Vo2Master and my Polar H10 chest strap, to determine the most accurate Threshold value for myself.

By looking at ALL of the values, however, I could then apply each of them when training. If the goal is to raise Vo2Max to its’ highest time-limited potential, and to raise % of Vo2Max at Threshold, then having those other metric markers can help me take a more holistic approach to every ride.

The Workout

For these five tests (and probably counting), I used my standard indoor training software, PerfPro Studio. My warmup consisted of a 27-minute protocol that I’ve honed using Moxy muscle oxygen sensors. I did roughly four Vo2master O2 calibrations for each workout, but I only recorded the 20-minute effort on the Vo2Master app. The Vo2Master is best used in a consistent atmosphere, so I used a local 8000 btu air conditioner in my small room, to help keep humidity and temperature under control.

PerfPro Studio Vo2 at Threshold Workout
There’s literally no better piece of software in the cycling fitness world than PerfPro Fitness. The amount of information I can read, along with the myriad ways I can build workouts, remains unmatched.

Here are the results:

Date20Min Vo2 Average20Min Power Average20Min HR Average20Min RR Average20Min DFAA1 Average20Min SmO2 Average20Min EqO2 AverageBest 30-sec Vo2maxVo2 as a % of Max
6-Oct53.5271163350.56.822.262.685%
13-Oct55.1287172390.41524.560.691%
20-Oct57.5281170420.42024.565.288%
27-Oct56.9273172430.4310.225.363.290%
3-Nov56.9273172430.410.225.363.290%
AVERAGE55.98277169.840.40.42612.4424.3662.489%
HIGH57.5287172430.52025.363.291%
LOW53.5271163350.46.822.260.685%
RANGE416980.113.23.12.65%

What the Chart Says

There’s more information on this chart than just Vo2 values, but here’s the summary…

  • My 20-minute average Vo2 over 5 efforts was 56ml/kg/min. This is comparable to the 55ml/kg/min that was observed in the mountain bike climb from the previous, outdoor, post.
  • The highest 30-second Vo2 value over the same 5 efforts, which I’ll call Vo2Max, was 63ml/kg/min. Again – I’ve seen this ‘Vo2Max’ value enough to believe it is accurate. Incidentally, my Garmin 1040 and Garmin Connect continue to show my Vo2Max, per calculation only, at 59-60ml/kg/min, which I believe tracks pretty well, even though it is not using metabolic values, and instead uses calculations.
  • When you take the 20-minute Vo2 at Threshold, and divide it by the 30-second Vo2Max, well, my Vo2 at Threshold occurs at about 89% of my Vo2Max.

Notice that I have not mentioned power, or watts. I’ll explain why…

Vo2 at Threshold is a PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

For 27 of my 31 years as a Professional Cycling Coach, pursuing watts at Threshold, watts at Vo2Max, and watts per kilogram per minute, has been a stated priority. However, Physics is immutable, while physiology is incredibly mutable.

For the same amount of physiological effort on the outdoor effort in the previous post, I averaged maybe 235 watts over 10 minutes, and 207 watts over 20 minutes. For these five indoor tests, I averaged about 277 watts over 20 minutes. The delta is too great to ignore.

On that same ride, I averaged 165 beats per minute for the climb, while on these five indoor rides, the average heart rate was 170 beats. Temperature, convection, and evaporation are important considerations for heart rate intensities.

For my climb outdoors, which was not 20 minutes, the average DFAA-1 on AlphaHRV was about a 0.4. For the 5 indoor efforts, it was 0.43. I am becoming more and more convinced that there is something ‘there’ there when it comes to DFAA-1 and Threshold.

Finally, the SMO2 value for my climb was about 25%, while the SMO2 average for the 5 indoor 20-minute efforts was 12.4%. I’m convinced that this is because of micro-recoveries on a mountain bike trail, vs. the consistent resistance of a 2% slope indoors.

I think I want to optimize my physiological markers going forward, and those of my clients, and let the watts take care of themselves from now on. Chasing watts as a primary metric, especially on a mountain bike, can leave a rider disillusioned and frustrated.

Conclusion

Vo2 at Threshold is a great way to assess your current fitness, but it requires expensive apparatus. I still don’t own all of the kit I could possibly wear that would help with this assessment. Knowing that my Vo2 at Threshold, is roughly 89% of my Vo2Max, does reassure me that my fitness, at least in August of 2024, and again in October of 2024, is pretty close to my genetic potential.

The next step, one I won’t attempt until the Spring of 2025, will be to try and grow that Vo2Max up to a 65, 66, or even 68ml/kg/min. This will be INCREDIBLY difficult to achieve as a 55-year old male, but I’d like to try. The next step would be to see if I can HOLD my Vo2 at Threshold near 90% as that Vo2Max rises. This is going to require losing another 2 kilograms of mass, maybe 3. That MAY affect my power output and fatigue levels, so I have to temper action with wisdom on this as we go into the 2025 PreSeason.

Winter is approaching quickly, and the cooler temps mean that I won’t be able to use the Vo2Master outdoors nearly as much. When the snow finally leaves the trails unrideable, I’ll be hyper focused on my indoor efforts in my VQ Velocity until Spring. But until then, I’ll be riding outside on the mountain bike on my beloved Peavine, trying to keep my singletrack skills and dreams alive until April 2025, when I can get back out there again.

I’ll post some follow up blogs about the other metrics featured in the chart above, but I need to consult with some PhD’s that are wiser than I am on these parameters. I also have to thank my client, Ken O’Brien, a retired Bell Labs professional, on his coding assistance for a new project that I’ll reveal next.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

 
 

SmO2 and Base

The Moxy’s SmO2 Sensor Helps Make Base Training Even More Effective

SmO2 and Base Richard Wharton Online Bike Coach Garmin Connect Image 1
Saturated Muscle Oxygen can make Base Training even more effective. Look for a rise in SmO2 at a known low intensity. Then, gently raise the intensity to find that SmO2 ‘sweet spot’ of aerobic training.

 
 

This week on my VQ Velocity Virtual Studio, we are focusing on a week of Periodization and Taper. We are not performing hard intervals, but instead, we are focusing on easier rides. I wear my Moxy for all my rides, but most of the time, I focus on Desaturation and Resaturation. This blog post is about SmO2 and Base training. We can use the Garmin Connect Ecosystem to highlight the PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS of low-intensity rides.

SmO2 and Base Oxygen Saturation Levels

SmO2 and Base Richard Wharton Online Bike Coach Garmin Connect ThB Image 2
When you first start a ride, the body just isn’t ready for the strain. With proper warmup and vasodilation, SmO2 rises, ThB declines, and you’re achieving the benefits of ‘Base’!

SmO2 (Saturated Muscle Oxygen) readings show cyclists just how much Oxygen Supply is in the muscles. When a cyclist is riding for BASE, there should be plenty of oxygen available. As a ride progresses, the body warms up, and the blood vessels dilate. This offers the muscles more available oxygen. Think of SmO2 as ‘Volts’ in a car battery. When there’s a heavy draw on the engine (Demand), the volts may drop, like when the ignition is engaged. On electric vehicles, computers monitor watts (torque), volts, and Amps. I compare Amps with Total Hemoglobin, which I’ll discuss later in this post.

SmO2 and Base Richard Wharton Online Bike Coach Garmin Connect ThB Image 4
Patented Warmup. Create just a wee bit of strain, then recover, and watch your SmO2 and ThB values climb over 20-27 minutes (~200-300 Calories).

Since 2012, when I first started using SmO2 monitors from Moxy, I’ve discovered that SmO2 reveals great information about Base Training. When you first place a Moxy monitor on the left Lateralis, you usually get a reading of about 30-60% SmO2. I call this ‘Active Resting SmO2’. As you warm up, SmO2 will definitely drop a bit. If a cyclist or runner does NOT perform my trademarked Warmup Protocol, SmO2 dilation does NOT reach its’ full potential, and in my opinion, restricts some of the benefits of visualizing this feature. But IF the cyclist DOES perform my Warmup Protocol, then SmO2 can become a highly effective, visual method of visualizing just what Base provides.

Base Training Is an Energy-Positive Ride

Watch this 30-second advertisement for Del Monte Green Beans. Specifically, watch what happens when this young lady goes on a bike ride. This is EXACTLY what a ‘Base’ Ride should provide a cyclist or a runner. It should be ‘Energy Positive’ for mental wellness and spiritual fulfillment. It’s literally the way most of our bike rides should occur. The time you spend out there performing this may depend on goals, etc., but SmO2 can provide a window into exactly what is happening when a ride like this occurs.

SmO2 and Base Lead to Greater ‘Volts’ of Available Power, While Drawing Less ‘Amps’ (ThB) for the Same Amount of Physical Output

In this graph, you can see how my post-warmup Base ride begins with roughly 52% SmO2. While power output changes very little, vasodilation occurs, and available SmO2 rises at roughly the 45:00 mark, with a small dip in power output. The Smo2 continues to rise after that, until I perform a single 1-minute standing effort to change my saddle position.

***Standing Power is INCREDIBLY INEFFICIENT.

If you watch old videos of Alberto Contador, there are times before he had a serious crash, when he would climb seated, and honestly, he was a GC or stage threat. After his crash and long recovery, his body was never the same, and he climbed standing for even longer periods of time. It was very powerful, but very costly. 

However, after that single effort, SmO2 rose further, with little change in power.

Why Did SmO2 Start to Decline at the 1-hour mark?

mO2 and Base Richard Wharton Online Bike Coach Garmin Connect ThB Image 3
This is where I wish I had some coding knowledge. I would build a Garmin app that would run a 1-minute graph of SmO2 and ThB, along with recent Ceilings and Floors, so I could better visualize each parameter and make a more informed choice about intensity and nutrition or hydration.

Right around the 1:05 timeline, SmO2 began to decline. When we use Garmin Connect to zoom in, we can see that it began with a slight rise in power output. This was further exacerbated by another minute of standing and pedaling. SmO2 dropped further. Once I sat down, SmO2 Resaturated, but then continued its’ decline back to around 50%.

Why did this happen? Well, let’s look at the OTHER data point that we get when we ride with a Moxy; ThB.

What is ThB?

ThB stands for ‘Total Hemoglobin’, and it’s based on Millimols per Deciliter of volume. It’s the total count of red blood cells in your overall system. Hemoglobin is a protein that carries Oxygen to the Muscles. It’s another window into the ‘SUPPLY and DEMAND’ side of the SmO2 Equation. The more ThB we have, the more ‘AMPS’ we have available to help provide fresh oxygen to the muscles, to help keep SmO2 high.

Right around the 1:05 mark, when my SmO2 began to decline, Total Hemoglobin, which was declining from minute 33:00 to that point, began to rise. After the final standing moment, it rose further, and rose until I quit the ride at the 1:15 mark. So, SmO2 declines and ThB rises, for the same amount of power.

Now, this is CONJECTURE, because I AM NOT A SCIENTIST. But my own speculation is that I was getting short on blood sugar. I always ride these easier rides in a fasted state. It’s a way to train my body to burn more fat over time, as long as I don’t push too hard. But there are only between 800 and 1200 calories of carbohydrate in the circulatory system at any time, and in the 30 years that I’ve been cycling, my body tends to change at roughly 1200 calories, WITH CARB SUPPLEMENTATION. Without Carb supplementation, I think it’s very feasible to ‘see’ the body switching energy systems or becoming less efficient. At this point, I had burned roughly 800 calories, and had consumed nothing more than water (and probably not enough of that). Hence, ThB rose, SmO2 declined, while power and basic heart rate remained neutral.

Use Your Moxy SmO2 And Keep It HIGH!

SmO2 and Base Richard Wharton Online Bike Coach Garmin Connect ThB Image 5
For roughly the same amount of power, my body responded with less stress. Once I used up my blood sugar (I was in a fasted state), the body began looking elsewhere for energy, and my SmO2 and ThB both changed to become less efficient, while power stayed the same.

My personal SmO2 Floors and Ceilings are as such, but your own zones may vary.

  • My Max Recovery Saturation is at 80%. I rarely get there on an active bike ride, so 70% means my Muscles are being resupplied with fresh Oxygen and are ready for another effort.
  • My Active Base Saturation is between 40 and 70%. When I ride at those SmO2 intensities (remember, harder is lower, easier is higher), my body is using energy to make energy in my  mind, and these are fruitful, fun, functional rides.
  • An SmO2 below 20%, and usually below 17% puts me on ‘BORROWED TIME’, and is my Vo2Max range of intensity. It’s also unustainable for long periods.
  • An SmO2 between 20 and 25% is a great Threshold Intensity for me, regardless of the old-school heart rate and wattage values that have traditionally yielded these zones.

If you really want to get a window into your body, SmO2 (and ThB) provide real-time value to help you optimize your ride. Once you know your numbers, you can always try to track gains in power or loss in weight over time. You can also watch ThB to see if you’re perhaps in need of some carbs, or may even be approaching a bonk.

I’m going to continue to share my observations. If you own a Moxy, let me know if you see similar phenomena. I’d love to learn more.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

Using Ergometer LOAD vs. % SLOPE for DFAA-1 Base Training

"PerfPro Studio is such a fantastic product for training and analysis. It allows a cyclist to ride at a load based on an ergometer, or a load based on % slope. Yesterday, after assessing my DFAA-1 heart rate, SmO2 and wattage values, I decided to 'test' the values...."
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Base Ride Analysis Using Published Science

"In the first part of the video, you can see FatMaxxer being screencast from an Android to the PC window. The second screen is the Vo2master software, which is being screencast to the PC using LonelyScreen app. The rest of the information is being presented through PerfPro Studio. Post-ride analysis was done using PerfPro Studio, PerfPro Analyzer Beta, and Runalyze."
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