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The Physiological Perspective of Four Separate 8-Minute Intervals

8-Minute Intervals At “Threshold”…

4x8 minute intervals online bike coach richard wharton coach wharton garmin connect
Wattage, heart rate, and Saturated Muscle Oxygen do not always agree. In this blog post, I dive into the physiology of EACH INTERVAL, which gives me greater insight into how to improve workouts for myself and you.

In late November of 2024, I was able to perform an interval session on my indoor trainer and bike with my clients. The workout comprised of four separate 8-minute intervals. We used the VQ Velocity app, and I recorded each interval as a separate file while wearing my Vo2Master Gas Exchange Analyzer. Then, one of my clients, Ken O’Brien, actually coded an app that would allow me to compare the intervals against each other.

Traditional Interpretations of 8-Minute Intervals

When I look at the data from a ride file, I usually use graphs and charts from Garmin Connect. When I ride, I use a Garmin 1040 and the lap button, to assess real-time information. For years, I used wattage and traditional heart rate for each of the 8-minute intervals, but with advanced Heart Rate Variability Analysis, I can now include EPOC, aerobic and anaerobic training effect, and DFAA-1. These values USUALLY yield enough information to determine whether I’m achieving my training goals or not.

 
 

Inclusion of Gas-Exchange Analysis in 8-Minute Intervals

Vo2Master App Metrics
This is just one page of data fields that I can use on the Vo2Master app. You can also run these fields as graphs. All of the data is stored in a detailed .csv file that can be downloaded and shared for analysis.

By including data from my Vo2Master gas-exchange analyzer, I wanted to determine whether these traditional metrics were accurate and valid. It’s one thing to get a ‘Score’ or an interpretation of training results from a software with algorithms. These are usually pulled from a EULA that traps metadata and makes suppositions about intensity, dose, and recovery. I find these interpretations to be… shallow. Hence, the need to pull data from the body. 8-minute intervals are long enough to measure metabolic changes via data that I can only get from a breath-by-breath analysis. The goal is to MELD traditional, on-bike data that I can get from my Garmin, with the knowledge gained from the Vo2Master, Moxy monitor, and AlphaHRV.

8-Minute Interval Data

Here’s the link to the 4 x 8-minute interval efforts, along with a chart showing ‘traditional’ averages for Garmin Metrics.

And here is my first summary of the information that I collected.

LapAve HRAve CadenceTorque EffectivenessAve PowerSmO2ThB
11689685%24913.645%12.408
21679584%23815.378%12.369
31659185%23216.307%12.364
41689284%22814.434%12.371

This was where I first began to suspect that some of the ‘Traditional’ parameters for an 8-minute interval might not be as effective as decades of efforts had led me to believe. Now – here is the data from the Vo2Master… Let’s first look at Heart Rate vs. Heart Rate.

This is the graphical data for traditional HR, using the First interval as the benchmark, in black. The following intervals are in red.

For those who are interested, THIS LINK will provide access to these files. For this blog post, the files I’m using are found under ‘select dataset directory’, and are the following:

  • ./Data/RW-11-28-24-Int1
  • ./Data/RW-11-28-24-Int2
  • ./Data/RW-11-28-24-Int3
  • ./Data/RW-11-28-24-Int4

You can certainly play with any of the files, however.

Vo2master heart rate vs heart rate chart 1
Heart rate for the first 8-minute interval is in black. Heart rate for the second interval is in red. You can see a similar pattern.

Here’s the chart comparing the first interval to the third 8-minute interval.

o2master heart rate vs heart rate chart 2
Again, once I get set into the effort, traditional heart rate follows a similar path.

For the fourth interval, there was something that interfered with my final 30-seconds, so the effort was cut slightly short. However, for the 6-minutes in the middle, again, traditional heart rate is similar. Refer to the above table to see just how close the heart rate averages were.

Heart Rate vs. Vo2

Now – here’s a table showing traditional on-bike metrics vs. Vo2Master metrics for each 8-minute interval.

LapAverage Vo2Heart RatePower AverageRespiratory RateSmO2ThB
146.531682494013.645%12.408
244.631672383915.378%12.369
341.981652323516.307%12.364
441.171672283714.434%12.371

And here are some charts comparing different metrics from one interval to the next. Again, I’ll use Interval #1 as the benchmark.

Online Bike Coach Vo2Master 8 Minute Intervals Compared n1
This is a Vo2 comparison of my first and second 8-minute Interval. Black is the first interval, red is the second. The averages are on the table above.

Here’s the first interval against the third interval…

Online Bike Coach Vo2Master 8 Minute Intervals Compared n2
Again, the first interval is in black, while the second is in red. I lost Vo2 intensity and efficiency for roughly equivalent heart rate.

And here’s the first interval against the last interval…

Online Bike Coach Vo2Master 8 Minute Intervals Compared n3
And finally – here’s the last of the four 8-minute intervals. Vo2 was suppressed, as was wattage, but heart rate was not.

Vo2 vs. SmO2 for the 8-Minute Intervals…

Now remember – we’re looking at what wearables are telling us, vs. the outcome. These intervals really were NOT that great for me, but if I want to improve both results and consistency for the time requirement and demands, I really want to dig deep and look at all of the parameters. Here, I have placed Vo2 against SmO2 in the Left Lateralis. Take a look….

Online Bike Coach Vo2Master Moxy Monitor 8 Minute Intervals Compared n1
Rember to use the table a few paragraphs up. There, you’ll see my average SmO2 for each interval. In my opinion, I went WAY too hard for most of the intervals, and ended up fatigued out, which affected the other three efforts. Let’s continue…

Here’s 8-minute interval number 2.

Online Bike Coach Vo2Master Moxy Monitor 8 Minute Intervals Compared n2
This interval is unique because you can see how ‘backing off’ on the intensity, lowered my Vo2, and raised my SmO2, right around Minute 4 to 5. I think this is an important value, which I’ll point out in the following image….

I’m going to show 8-minute interval #2 again, this time with wattage instead of Vo2.

Online Bike Coach Moxy vs wattage 8 Minute Interval n2
I love looking at SmO2 from my Moxy, because it’s consistent, sensitive, and is a fair proxy for VT2 and/or LT2. As you can see, when power (Vo2 is in the previous image), drops as a result of less effort, SmO2 rises, allowing me to witness and recover without losing too much power or intensity. When I rally, Smo2 drops again, but I am better able to find a ‘sweet spot’ of intensity that leads to a sort of ‘Plateau’ for saturated muscle oxygen. By the way – the drop in power at the end is from a hard shift that forced me to stand. It messed up the readings. Don’t Do This!

Here’s the third of the 8-minute intervals, comparing Vo2 to Smo2…

Online Bike Coach Vo2Master Moxy Monitor 8 Minute Intervals Compared n3
By the third interval, I had kind of nailed down the intensity that I was going to be able to sustain more appropriately. Vo2 is more consistent, while SmO2 range is also more consistent.

Now, the 4th 8-minute interval was wonky, and if you look at the right side axis, you’ll see that the scaling is off. You’ll need to refer to the tables, but suffice it to say – SmO2 was fairly low, wattage was compromised, and Vo2 was also compromised. My own interpretation is that I was knackered; fatigued; out of sugar; bonking. But honestly, I don’t really have an answer.

Online Bike Coach Vo2Master Moxy Monitor 8 Minute Intervals Compared n4
Not much to say here, other than I believe the SmO2 sensor CAN give a clear picture, on a Garmin head unit, of those liminal states of intensity, below which (higher SmO2 %) you’re safe, and above which (lower % SmO2), you’re on ‘borrowed time’. I pretty much hit the ‘sweet spot’ via Smo2 (demand) at about the 5-minute mark.

Now, here’s the Crux…

If we use some of these ALGORITHMS that claim to ACCURATELY PREDICT Threshold Power, Functional Threshold Power, VT2, LT2, Critical Power, or whatever, then we depend on them for accuracy, consistency, and repeatability.

But when you look at my tables, and then the graphs, this really is not as accurate as one might be led to believe. The two that I have used extensively in the past, which I won’t name, have my ‘Threshold’ at 270 watts, and 172 beats per minute, per traditional heart rate. These interval intensities were nowhere close. Since 2003, when I first began programming interval sessions for clients using WordPad, I’ve always understood that wattage cannot be the end-all, be-all to training. We have to look at things Holistically.

These wearables, like a Moxy and a modern Garmin or Polar Chest strap, along with 3rd-party Fields, like AlphaHRV (which I did NOT discuss in this post, but will in a follow-up), give us a price-effective way to gain greater insight into EVERY ride, EVERY INTERVAL, and even EVERY BREATH or PEDAL STROKE, down to the second.

I’ll post a follow-up to this post, with some more insights, but I’m at my limits of knowledge here. This is where the ‘Mad Scientist’ always loses out. I need a True Physiologist. Luckily, I’ve got two or ten who share my passion for these Deep Dives, and who can help me understand. I’ll share this information as soon as I can.

Thanks for reading, and

#ENJOYTHERIDE!

 
 

Vo2Max and Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking Requires Riding at Vo2Max!

Vo2Master outdoor data collection.
Cross Country Mountain Biking Requires working at or near your Vo2Max for an extended period of time.

CAUTION – THIS POST IS NERD-HEAVY! IT IS DEEP IN THE WEEDS! DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK QUESTIONS!!!!!

Ever since I received my Vo2Master back from my friend and code buddy in Canada, I have been collecting data on inside and outside rides. Not long ago, I rode two laps of my favorite Cross-Country Course, using my Mask, a Moxy, and a Rotor Power Meter, to learn just how hard I was working, and how I might be able to get some faster splits on the climb.

The Course

The course for this study is my all-time Peavine Favorite, which I built in Garmin Connect in a previous post. The course covers 8.6km, climbs 215 meters, and my best time on the loop is about 27:10, though I haven’t seen that time since 2020. I’m convinced that Mountain Bike Cross Country Courses change with use and weathering, and let’s face it – I’m four years older, and probably a little more skittish now than I once was. Health Insurance deductibles are always in the back of a cycling coach’s mind!

This year, my fastest time is a 29:36, and that happens to be the fastest time since a race was held on this course in 2019. It’s my home course, and I spend HOURS on the loop, trying to decipher bike fit, suspension, and tire pressure. When winter shuts me down, this trail is what I dream of for the next spring.

Vo2Max for Climbing on a Mountain Bike

The Climb section of this course starts immediately. The first section is 2.46km, and climbs 144 meters at an average of 5.7% slope.

The second segment, just a few minutes later, is 1.37km long, and climbs 54 meters at 3.9% slope.

My fastest time for this climb was set in 2020, at 10:33. My closest time this year, however, has been an 11:26. My weight, however, is about the same, at 69kg. The bike weight is similar, though it is a new bike. The difference is that I’m four years older, and maybe the trail has degraded somewhat over those four years.

The ride we’re studying occurred on August 15th, 2024. Here’s the link to the file:

Physiological Demands

I really wanted to see how much Strain was required to perform the climbs on this course, so I gave it all I had. I wanted to witness more than just power and time. I wanted to observe Vo2 demands, Saturated Muscle Oxygen values, Respiratory Rate, and more.

Here are a few graphs of the first climb. I think the results are pretty interesting.

Vo2Master Vo2 and SmO2 while MTB Climbing.
This first image highlights Vo2, elevation, and SmO2. You can see how SmO2 stayed suppressed below 20% for a good chunk of the first climb, roughly corresponding with the high Vo2. I believe my Vo2max is about 62ml/kg/min, and for this climb, I am estimating I climbed it at about a 55ml/kg/min, or 89% of Vo2max. Note also, just how quickly SmO2 recovers when terrain changes, as opposed to Vo2, which takes slightly longer. The legs provide the ‘Demand’ side of the equation, while the lungs in this case reveal the metabolic cost of this demand. 
Vo2master Garmin Connect Vo2max Vo2 Threshold heart rate mountain biking climbs
Traditional heart rate definitely seems to correlate with Vo2 on this effort. However – it does seem like the heart rate ‘drifted’ higher with the effort, while Vo2 was roughly steady, especially around the 14:45 mark. I tend to throw out the short spikes of Vo2, and in after-action, I always try to export the file and extract the highest Mean Max Vo2 for the duration I’m observing.
Vo2Max Mountain Bike Watts Stochastic Power
This is the same time span, showing Vo2 against power on the climb. Look at how incredibly stochastic the wattage is! This is created by terrain and changes in direction, but the metabolic costs (see the above charts showing SmO2, Heart Rate, and Vo2, all remain more consistent. Wattage dictates lots and lots of small, tiny gains, measured in single meters.
Vo2Master Vo2 DFAA1 DFAA-1 DFA Alpha 1 Alpha HRV AlphaHRV
I know there’s debate about the efficacy of DFAA-1, but I thought I’d show it anyway. Compare Alpha1 to SmO2. I usually dictate SmO2 at Threshold to be about 17-20%, and I usually use 0.4 -0.5 for Threshold at DFAA1. For the majority of this climb, once the calculation caught up, DFAA-1 was below 0.5, and was below 0.4 at times as well. It IS useful, especially for longer climbs.

Results

Okay – this is where things get crazy.

I have to believe that some of my results are wind and temperature aided. However, glances on www.wunderground.com history, just do not provide the details I believe are necessary to provide proper context. I also believe the trail conditions change over the course of a season, and over the course of years. I know I’m getting older, and with that age, a lower Vo2max and diminished power at Threshold, but I also believe that I’m giving this climb my best effort. This year alone, I have climbed this hill 24 times, with a best result of 11:26. August 15th’s ride was, however, a lowly 12:31, my seventh-best time this year.

Ironically, on August 18th, I climbed this hill in 12:04, and on August 25th, just 10 days later, I finished in 11:28. Unfortunately, I was not wearing my Vo2Master for those rides. I may follow up this post with an analysis of those rides, since I was using the Moxy, and AlphaHRV on my Garmin 1040.

That’s the Bad News. The Good News is that it’s the fastest time on this segment on Strava for the year, and it’s the fifth-fastest time ever. I now have the Vo2, SmO2, HR, and power metrics needed to determine how to actually IMPROVE my time through increased fitness!

Conclusion

Mountain Biking demands a lot of effort at, or near, your Vo2Max!

I now know just what the physiological parameters are for this climb. Knowledge comes from data, and the data revealed so much. I’m going to work on my 10-minute average power values, and power at roughly 54-55 Vo2. I’m going to work on leg strength, and overall body strength. I still don’t believe I have the best bike/body position for climbing, and I’m going to study that and make changes.

The beautiful thing about mountain biking is that the same course, the same segment, the same trail, is NEVER, EVER, EVER the same. Rocks move. Moisture comes and goes. Wind erodes. Some areas get softer, some areas get more packed. These are all things that GPS trackers cannot measure, and on-bike and on-body metrics can’t perceive or analyze.

I’ve spoken before about a term I learned when I was flying sailplanes. It’s called “Whipadilling”, and it’s sort of a 6th Sense. In aviation, it’s the ability to ‘read the air’ and ‘see the sky’. For me, on a mountain bike, it’s about reading the terrain, picking lines, making mistakes, rolling over those mistakes and remembering the next obstacle. There are SO MANY VARIABLES. The goal, however, is to optimize what I can on my body and my bike, and then practice, practice, practice, until the trail shuts down for the season, due to rain, snow, and short days.

 

Until then…

ENJOY THE RIDE.

 

 

 

Peavine Mountain Bike Video

Mountain Biking On Peavine Mountain Is In My Blood!

Hey everyone – I’m still working on several blog posts, but I had to post this mountain biking video real quick.

It was filmed with a Skydio 2 Sports Drone, and I filmed this all on one battery. It depicts a trail on Peavine, the Halo Trail, followed by a descent on Stage Coach Trail. All of this is about 5 minutes from my front door.

I’m still re-learning the muscle memory for my mountain bike, and to be honest, I’m still having issues with suspension tuning and hand numbness. I don’t know if there’s an answer at this point. But, I’m still having fun, it’s still better than the alternative, and I’m determined to gain and share some knowledge along the way.

Thanks for watching, and #EnjoyTheRide!

Vo2Max On Garmin Connect and the Garmin 1040

Vo2Max Calculations Show Cardio-Vascular Changes

Garmin Connect Vo2Max Dial Online Bike Coach Richard Wharton
This is the Garmin Connect Vo2Max dial, located in your Garmin Connect account. It uses information from your traditional heart rate, heart rate variability, and extrinsic measurements like wattage, to glean an indirect measurement. It’s pretty accurate for me, but I’m pretty diligent in comparing it against lab-accurate devices.

Vo2max is a fitness and health measurement that is defined as, “The Maximal Volume of Oxygen that can be consumed by a person during physical exertion.” I’ve discussed Vo2max in the past, and I even own a Vo2Master assessment device, for testing and training purposes. Garmin Connect uses information collected on their head units to determine Vo2Max via a calculation. The data comes from Heart Rate Variability, traditional heart rate, time, and wattage. Testing myself over the years, the data from my Vo2master is about 98% consistent with the data from Garmin Connect. That may not be the case across a wider population, however. That said, the Garmin 1040 Vo2Max post-ride analysis graph is something I enjoy viewing, and then comparing with my own perception of a ride’s efficacy.

In short, I think the Vo2Max reading on a Garmin watch or head unit, as well as in Garmin Connect CAN provide a good and consistent value, showing improvement, stability, or detraining.

Vo2Max On Garmin Connect

Here’s my Garmin Connect Vo2Max Chart. I’m including a 1-year outlook to show seasonal variations with volume and intensity. I’m also showing a 4-week chart to refine the image a bit.

Garmin Connect Vo2Max 1-year report Online Bike Coach Richard Wharton
Vo2Max will wax and wane over time, depending on what type of cycling you’re doing, and what the seasonal demands are for volume and intensity.
Garmin Connect Vo2Max 4-week report Online Bike Coach Richard Wharton
The four-week report for this post culminated in a peak Vo2max of 60 on the week of May 13th. You’ll also notice the drop and rebound. That’s because I moved from 48m above sea level to 1584m above sea level. Vo2Max drops with altitude, and I certainly felt it!

Now – there’s a bit of a caveat here…

The Vo2Max value you see on Garmin Connect is RELATIVE.

It’s looking at:

Milliliters of Oxygen,

per Kilogram of body weight,

per minute of effort.

Let’s start with the TIME requirement. At a minimum, a rolling 60-second maximum effort is needed to get the best information. Achieving Vo2Max is REALLY FREAKING HARD. It should leave you exhausted.

Next, look at body weight. Body weight is one of the most toxic topics a cyclist or coach could ever encounter. Our culture is obsessed with weight and image, but ‘fixing’ it has been a third rail, as our society has only become MORE Diabese and LESS active over the last five decades. Furthermore, there’s the impression that ‘nothing works’. The only thing I’ll say about weight and Vo2Max is… if you want to achieve a higher level of time-limited performance, you need to SMARTLY and STEADILY increase your caloric expenditure while limiting your caloric intake, over time.

I can help, and I have clients who use a Lumen to help with dietary choices, but it’s VERY personal, and it should be a VERY private discussion. You CAN improve Vo2Max with fitness alone; it’s just that losing the weight provides that much more fitness and performance, up to a point that very, very few will ever reach. To be honest, most of us don’t need to, either.

Finally, there’s Milliliters of Oxygen Consumption. This requires a LOT of breathing. It requires that you train to expand your lungs. It requires that you train your diaphragm to suck in as much air as possible, and then utilize it in the bloodstream to the greatest degree possible.  Vo2Max training also requires that you expel as much CO2 as possible, so that the body can treat the strain and continue to operate.

Vo2Max is an indicator of POTENTIAL. It doesn’t guarantee a good ride. Still, a higher Vo2Max is a strong indicator that your fitness and wellbeing are improving from regular training, diet, nutrition, and hydration. ALL of those parameters can be recorded, measured, and interpreted inside Garmin Connect!

 

How Do I Improve Vo2Max?

Here’s the painful truth; Vo2Max training requires eyeball-popping intervals of high intensity, and a duration of anywhere from 30-seconds to about 6 minutes. For traditional heart rate zones, it’s intensity that elicits heart rate above Threshold, or 85-90% of Max Heart Rate. I recommend Heart Rate Reserve, because in Garmin Connect, it allows for measurement of overnight resting heart rate, and altered max heart rates over time as well.

Here’s an example of a Vo2Max workout on Garmin Connect. Feel free to click and look around. 
The science on Vo2Max training is also evolving. I’m a huge follower of Dr. Veronique Billat, but more recently, Dr. Bent Ronnestad has further studied the effect of different workouts on Vo2Max. Dr. Stephen Seiler, an expat American in Norway, has a decades-old interval set that also has been proven to improve Vo2max.

These are Published, Peer-Reviewed Professionals, who do not use conjecture to make their claims. Garmin’s Heart Rate Variability Research Arm, FirstBeat, has published their own studies in Peer-Reviewed Journals, for decades.

What the Studies Show for Vo2Max Improvements…

The studies all show that for one to improve Vo2Max, you need to spend time near… Vo2Max intensity. In the Garmin Connect world of Zones, I go with intervals in Zone 5 or even 6 (out of 7 zones) for wattage, and above 90% Heart Rate Reserve (HRR). The metabolic response starts to hurt at about 25 seconds or so, hence Billat’s 30-30’s and 60-60’s. Ronnestad tested 30-15’s to good effect. Seiler’s 4×8’s also work, but convincing an amateur athlete to attempt 4 separate 8-minute efforts at such a high intensity has often proved too much.

Now, before I give out advice on how many intervals to do and how often to do them, STOP. Don’t ask. This is why you need a coach. A coach will help with a plan for improvement, progression, periodization, and overall health. Vo2Max efforts should never be performed alone, for safety purposes. They’re highly effective, but they strain the heart and body and mind, and should be performed in a controlled, supervised environment. We do this in my VQ Velocity Virtual Studio; supervised, coached intervals with perpetual feedback about intensity, strain, stress, and training dose.

The 28-Day Vo2Max Graph On Your Head Unit or Watch

The features list on Garmin head units and watches continues to grow. There are so many features, fields, and widgets, that it’s hard to keep up. But one of my favorite post-ride features is the Garmin 1040’s Training Status pages, found in the main menu. Swipe one screen in, and you get this chart:

Garmin Connect, Head Units and Watches look at the empirical HRV data, as well as wattage, to determine Vo2Max. Acute Load is a 7-day average of EPOC, another measurement that is backed by science.

Swipe right, and this image pops up:

The Vo2Max in Garmin’s head units is, in my opinion, better than the display in Garmin Connect.

Keep swiping and more charts come up, along with general guidelines about suggested intensities and how your specific mix of intensity is categorizing you as a cyclist. I’ll blog about that later. But go back to the Vo2Max 28-day chart.

Here’s my post-ride data from March 4th of 2024 through May 31st of 2024. I did not record every day, but I did take screenshots of 58 days out of 88 days. The time block coincided with training blocks of Threshold, Vo2Max, and lately, Sprint/Anaerobic Intervals to really tax the upper limits of the Power-Duration curves of my clients and myself at the VQ Velocity Virtual Studio. I put it into a GIF so you could follow the growth pattern.

 

28-day growth pattern of Garmin Vo2Max
We began Threshold Training in late January, then transitioned to Vo2Max training on March 12th. Sprint Training began May 7th and will continue on the VQ Velocity Virtual Studio for another two weeks. I’ll explain the ‘Dip’ in Vo2Max in the last week next. In 88 days I raised my Vo2Max from 52 to 60ml/kg/min.

Use the Garmin Vo2Max Chart to Better Understand How Your Training Is Helping – Or Isn’t!

Remember – Vo2Max is an indicator of fitness POTENTIAL. ‘Zone 2’ training is all the rage right now, but it’s been around in scientific circles since the 1970’s. Anyone who remembers Dr. Ken Cooper and ‘Aerobics’, knows about ‘LSD’, or, Long-Steady-Distance. That’s Zone 2. It lays the groundwork for improved Vo2 in lots and lots of ways. But it’s the time spent above Functional Threshold, the time spent at or near Vo2Max, that improves fitness for the biggest bang-per-buck-per-minute.

Garmin Post-Ride Analytics yields a pretty good assessment of how a workout impacted your fitness. The Vo2Max chart, with accurate heart rate and power meter data, can provide a short history, and a future guide, to get the results you want, in a timely fashion.

Stick with it, and if you need help, write, call, or text. The #1 way to improve Vo2Max is through consistent training at any intensity.

Let’s go.

Post-Script: The DIP in my Vo2Max.

In May of this year, I made a sea-change in my life. It cost me some fitness, until my body adapts and I return stronger than ever!

 

So what happened? Why did I go from 60ml/kg/min down to 54ml/kg/min for a few days, before rebounding back to 58? My body weight stayed the same… So what was it?

Altitude. I moved from Sacramento, CA, back to our home in Reno, NV.

The altitude in Sacramento? 42 meters.

The altitude at my home in Nevada? 1585 meters.

The nearly 10% drop in available Oxygen required about 10 days to adapt.

There’s even a Garmin Graph for that!

Altitude Acclimation Garmin Connect
Adaptation takes time, and special attention to hydration and recovery. One Irish Whiskey can set you back 3 days (don’t ask me how I know!) 😉

After roughly two weeks of shorter breath, a lowered Threshold Power from 305 down to… 258…., I finally started rebounding, and the power is coming back up. Now, I just have to adapt to the upcoming HEAT!

Edging closer to 1585 meters….

That’s all I’ve got for now. If you liked this post, feel free to share it, and as always, click on the button below to buy me a Cup of Coffee.

 
I’ll be back with more next week! Till then,
#ENJOYTHERIDE!

 

 

 

Fitness HRV software Release 0.17

Fitness HRV Now Includes Moxy SmO2 Values

My work with Dr. Bruce Rogers and Mr. Stuart Lynne is continuing to show steady progress. Last month, I revealed the Alpha version of Fitness Dashboard. Fitness HRV is software that we are building to identify training intensities below VT1 (Ventilatory Threshold), and above VT2 (Traditional Threshold). The goal is to create a scientific instrument that uses PUBLISHED SCIENCE to help improve cardio-vascular economy, first and foremost. Fitness HRV now includes Moxy SmO2 and ThB (Total Hemoglobin) data. The reason I requested this inclusion is two-fold. First, we want to assess SmO2 action over time when training above DFAA-1 values of 0.75. Second, we want to watch SmO2 slope when we increase intensity, and bring DFAA-1 down to 0.5 or 0.4, which is less strongly correlated, but still connected, to VT2. This will help me, as a coach, better train athletes for training in polarized zones of intensity.

I’ve been using the Moxy since it first arrived on the scene and bought almost ten of the units when I was running the studios at Cycling Center Dallas. In my work over those years, the instrument gave me a new window into the body. I studied SmO2 “Floors and Ceilings” over time, and I also studied ThB floors and ceilings, both acutely and empirically. The PhD’s that study Saturated Muscle Oxygen recently published important studies on SmO2 “Slope”. Basically, when SmO2 levels out at a certain intensity, Oxygen SUPPLY is meeting DEMAND. Cyclists and Triathletes can use this value to gauge intensity. In fact, one of my favorite coaches, Steve Neal of Steve Neal Performance, just published a new APP on Garmin Connect, that specifically highlights SmO2 slope and plateaus, in color.

 

Current Fitness HRV Features

Fitness HRV currently includes the following data streams…

  • DFAA-1.
  • SmO2 and ThB.
  • DFAA-1 artifact counts.
  • Cadence.
  • Traditional Heart Rate.
  • Wattage
  • Trainer Slope (Work In Progress).

Over the next several weeks, we will be including all of the metrics from Vo2master Gas Exchange Analyzers, including:

  • Respiratory Frequency ((important to DFAA-1 research).
  • Tidal Volume
  • Ventilation
  • Absolute Vo2
  • Relative Vo2
  • Fraction of Expired Oxygen (important to DFAA-1 and SmO2 research).
  • Ambient Pressure
  • Humidity
  • Ventilatory Equivalents for Oxygen

and more values, like RQ (Respiratory Quotient of O2 and Co2), as they are brought online.

Fitness ECG Updates

Fitness ECG shows V2 and V3 data from a Polar H10 heart rate strap
The Fitness ECG App provides lab-accurate ECG sine waves from the V2/V3 position on the front of the chest.

Fitness ECG is still running as a separate app. It uses the ECG data from the Polar H10 to create a visible ECG from the V2 and V3 position. As this product is still in Alpha, there’s not much more than a display, the ability to record the session in CSV format, and the ability to save images via PDF and JPEG. It WILL be merged into Fitness HRV at some point in the future. Now, we cannot make medical claims from this one window into the heart, BUT…. we can identify artifacts and anomalies, and have those images automatically highlighted and saved for reference with medical professionals. I believe we can also glean Respiratory Frequency from this Polar device, but again, we’re going to go with PUBLISHED SCIENCE first and foremost.

What’s the Ultimate Goal?

Fitness HRV intends to be a research tool for individuals who want to train for AEROBIC fitness first and foremost. Once the correlation between DFAA-1, SmO2 in a Prime Mover muscle, and Gas Exchange RQ values is better understood, it then allows the user to TRAIN USING THIS TRIFECTA of PHYSIOLOGICAL INFORMATION.

In the 1970’s, Heart Rate Monitors were introduced to the general population for assessing fitness. In the late 1980’s, power meters were introduced. The Moxy became available in the early 2010’s. The Vo2master became available in the late 2010’s. There are more devices that measure physics and physiology, which are accurate, robust, and significant.

When we meld the PHYSICS of wattage, aerodynamics, rolling resistance, heat and humidity, with the PHYSIOLOGY of a human riding a bicycle or running, we can OPTIMIZE EVERY MINUTE OF ACTIVITY FOR THE DESIRED RESULTS. Years ago, this information was only available in labs and the equipment cost well into the six, and seven figures. Now, the chest straps are $80usd, power meters are accurate and consistent at $400usd and less, and muscle oxygen is available at similar cost. I intend to rent the Vo2master out for a month at a time, so that users can perform workouts indoors and out, to gain further insight into their values, as well as the general population, which will once again be published for peer review.

Feel free to ask any questions. We are doing this for free at the moment, but will charge a nominal fee at some point in the future. Until then, stay hydrated, exercise holistically, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

-Coach Wharton, Mr. Stuart Lynne, and Dr. Bruce Rogers.