#294 ‒ Peak athletic performance: How to measure it and how to train for it from the coach of the most elite athletes on earth | Olav Aleksander Bu
Peter Attia, MD, hosts sports scientist Olav Aleksander Bu, head of performance for Norway triathlon, for a deep dive into VO2 max and human performance. They discuss VO2 max as a longevity predictor, the nuances of absolute vs. relative VO2 max, and practical training strategies for elite athletes.
Deep Dive Analysis
11 Topic Outline
Olav Aleksander Bu's Background and Coaching Philosophy
Fundamentals of ATP Production and Energy Conversion
Movement Efficiency and Biomechanics in Cycling and Swimming
VO2 Max as a Predictor of Longevity and Performance
Absolute vs. Relative VO2 Max and Weight Impact
Measuring VO2 Max: Lab vs. Portable Devices
Accuracy and Practicality of Portable VO2 Max Devices
Optimizing VO2 Max Training: Work vs. Power
Cadence, Torque, and Their Impact on Power and VO2
Lactate Thresholds and Their Role in Training
Metabolic Flexibility and Fuel Utilization in Elite Athletes
7 Key Concepts
VO2 Max
VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can utilize during intense, maximal exercise. It is considered the best single predictor of longevity because it integrates the health and function of multiple bodily systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems.
Work Economy
Work economy refers to the efficiency with which an athlete converts energy into forward propulsion or movement. It encompasses both biomechanical efficiency (how well the body moves) and equipment efficiency (e.g., aerodynamics in cycling), meaning less oxygen is consumed for a given output.
Stoichiometry
Stoichiometry is a field in chemistry that allows for the calculation of the amount of energy released when molecules like carbohydrates are broken down. By understanding the atomic composition and the byproducts (like CO2), it helps quantify the energy yield from oxygen consumption.
Relative VO2 Max
Relative VO2 max normalizes oxygen consumption to body weight (milliliters per minute per kilogram). While commonly used, it can be misleading as reducing body weight might decrease absolute VO2 max, potentially leading to a lower overall capacity even if the relative number appears higher.
Absolute VO2 Max
Absolute VO2 max measures the total volume of oxygen consumed per minute (liters per minute), irrespective of body weight. For sports where weight is less of a factor (e.g., flat cycling), absolute VO2 max can be a better predictor of raw propulsive power than relative VO2 max.
Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER)
RER is the ratio of carbon dioxide produced (VCO2) to oxygen consumed (VO2). It provides an instantaneous picture of substrate utilization, indicating whether the body is primarily burning carbohydrates (higher RER) or fats (lower RER) for fuel.
Lactate Thresholds (LT1 & LT2)
Lactate thresholds (LT1 and LT2) are inflection points on a lactate-power curve. LT1 typically correlates with maximal fat oxidation, while LT2 (or Maximum Lactate Steady State) represents the highest intensity at which lactate production and clearance are balanced, preventing rapid accumulation.
7 Questions Answered
VO2 max is an exceptional integrator of overall physiological function, reflecting the health of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems. A high VO2 max indicates a greater reserve capacity, which is crucial for recovering from illness and stress, thus predicting a longer and higher quality of life.
Movement efficiency, or work economy, dictates how effectively an athlete converts energy into propulsion. Highly efficient athletes, like elite swimmers, can achieve high velocities with significantly less oxygen consumption compared to less efficient athletes, even those with higher VO2 max.
While useful for general comparison, relative VO2 max (normalized to weight) can be misleading for elite performance, especially in non-hilly events. A focus on reducing weight to increase relative VO2 max can sometimes lead to a decrease in absolute VO2 max and overall power output, which is more critical for propulsion.
In a lab, VO2 max is measured by having an individual exercise on a treadmill or ergometer while wearing a mask or mouthpiece. This apparatus measures the volume of air breathed and the concentration difference of oxygen and carbon dioxide between inhaled and exhaled air, allowing for the calculation of oxygen consumption.
Modern portable VO2 max devices, like the VO2 master, are becoming highly accurate, often within 50 milliliters of lab-grade systems. While field conditions introduce more variables than a controlled lab, these devices offer the benefit of real-world data collection and frequent, non-intrusive monitoring.
Higher cadence (crank velocity) can sometimes lead to increased gross power (total energy expended) for the same net power (propulsive power) due to less efficient pedaling coordination. Lower cadence (higher torque) can activate more muscle fibers, potentially shifting substrate utilization towards more glycogen-dependent pathways.
Lactate thresholds help define intensity zones for training. LT1 indicates the point of maximal fat oxidation, while LT2 (Maximum Lactate Steady State) is the highest intensity where lactate production and clearance are balanced. Training around these thresholds helps improve metabolic efficiency and sustained power output.
23 Actionable Insights
1. Prioritize Joy in Exercise
Focus on finding joy and a sense of achievement in your exercise routine, as this intrinsic motivation is the most important factor for consistent adherence and long-term engagement with physical activity.
2. Increase VO2 Max for Illness Reserve
Aim to increase your VO2 max to build a greater physiological reserve, which means a smaller fraction of your capacity is utilized during times of stress or illness, aiding in faster recovery and better health outcomes.
3. Prioritize Training Consistency
Emphasize consistency in your training over time, which often means leaving a little in reserve during individual workouts, as this sustainable approach is crucial for long-term progress and avoiding burnout.
4. Utilize Portable VO2 Max Device
Consider investing in a portable VO2 max unit like the VO2 Master for personal tracking, as it allows for accurate self-testing during workouts and can be a significant investment in understanding your physiology.
5. Maximize Accumulated High-Intensity Work
To increase VO2 max, focus on accumulating the maximum possible kilojoules of work at high power outputs during your training session, experimenting with interval durations and rest periods to optimize total high-intensity work rather than just peak power.
6. Practice Mindful Training at All Intensities
Treat all training intensities (low, medium, high) as ‘high quality’ and mindful workouts, as this allows you to use cognitive reserve at lower intensities to improve technique and self-awareness, which is not possible during high-intensity efforts.
7. Improve Mechanical Efficiency at Low Intensity
Engage in low-intensity workouts (e.g., 200 watts on a bike) to be mindful and cognitively present to your movement, allowing you to improve mechanical efficiency, such as optimizing your aerodynamic position (CDA).
8. Assess Performance with 60-Minute Power
Use your 60-minute power output as a robust and precise metric to describe your endurance capabilities, as it provides a clear measure of sustainable effort without confounding factors of shorter, more glycolytic efforts.
9. Avoid Short Power Tests for FTP
Do not rely on short-duration power tests (e.g., 8-10 minutes) to determine your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) if the goal is to assess sustainable aerobic capacity, as these efforts can be heavily influenced by glycolytic energy and misrepresent true endurance capabilities.
10. Strategically Rest Between Maximal Efforts
After a maximal VO2 max effort, allow for an adequate but not excessively long rest period (e.g., 10-15 minutes); this can prime your body to achieve an even higher VO2 max or power output in subsequent efforts within the same session.
11. Use Exhaustion Workouts Sparingly
Incorporate all-out exhaustion workouts very sparingly into your training program, as frequent use can hinder consistency and long-term progress.
12. Track Oxygen Consumption & Power
Track parameters like oxygen consumption and power output to understand and quantify how to improve your physical performance, viewing the human body as an engine with fuel and energy input.
13. Analyze Performance Improvement Drivers
Use data from power meters and calorimetry to analyze whether performance improvements are driven by biomechanical enhancements (e.g., better form) or biochemical efficiency (e.g., better energy conversion).
14. Iterate Training Based on Results
Continuously evaluate your training interventions; if something improves performance, do more of it, and if it doesn’t, investigate deeper or change your approach.
15. Get VO2 Max Lab Tested
Undergo a laboratory VO2 max test, which involves measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange during a graded exercise test, to accurately quantify your maximal aerobic capacity and overall physiological health.
16. Prioritize Absolute VO2 Max for Flat Courses
For performance in non-hilly races, prioritize increasing absolute VO2 max rather than solely focusing on relative VO2 max (per kilogram), as attempts to reduce weight for relative gains can sometimes decrease absolute VO2 max.
17. Use Progressive Power in VO2 Max Intervals
When performing VO2 max intervals, gradually increase your power output across sets, as this progressive approach can leverage a ‘priming effect’ in the body, potentially allowing for higher overall work accumulation.
18. Optimize Cadence for Training Goals
Experiment with different cadences (crank velocity) during cycling to target specific physiological systems; lower cadence (higher torque) stresses leg musculature and may increase CO2 production, while higher cadence (lower torque) places more demand on the cardiovascular system but can also increase total energy expenditure due to coordination costs.
19. Gauge VO2 Max with Heart Rate
Monitor your heart rate during high-intensity intervals as an indicator of how much time you are accumulating close to your VO2 max, as reaching VO2 max requires a very high heart rate and stroke volume to pump maximum oxygen.
20. Perform Lactate Threshold Testing
Conduct lactate threshold testing by performing repeated intervals at ascending effort, measuring lactate concentration at each step, and plotting it against pace to identify inflection points (LT1 and LT2) that indicate shifts in metabolic reliance.
21. Control Intensity with Lactate Thresholds
Utilize your individually determined lactate threshold inflection points (LT1 and LT2) as a method to control training intensity, guiding your effort to stay within sustainable zones or target specific physiological adaptations.
22. Avoid Fixed Lactate Training Zones
Do not rely on fixed blood lactate concentration values (e.g., 4 millimoles) to define training zones, as these values can be accumulated in various ways and are highly dependent on the specific exercise protocol, making them less reliable for individual intensity control.
23. Prioritize Shared Terminology Understanding
Focus on ensuring a shared understanding of training terminology between yourself and your coach, rather than strictly adhering to universal definitions, as effective communication and a system that works for you are most important for progress.
5 Key Quotes
VO2 max is the absolute best predictor of mostly everything, just because that it encompasses all these kinds of things.
Olav Aleksander Bu
If you have a low VO2 max, it basically means also at the moment you start to have stress in your lives, you have infections in your lives, anything like this, you are utilizing a much higher percentage of that ability.
Olav Aleksander Bu
The strength of data comes exactly from what you say. You need to measure regularly all the time there, and it has to be done in a way that the athlete doesn't feel it as intrusive or invasive into their lives.
Olav Aleksander Bu
There's no single workout that is the golden workout. We need different kinds of stimulus.
Olav Aleksander Bu
The most important thing is exactly that you have a language and it does work for you. And that's most important.
Olav Aleksander Bu