Human Performance Laboratory in UCD

thewolf_ie

Hi folks,

I am going to try fit in some testing such of Vo2 etc during this year before I hit the ultra distance. Simply I want a baseline and to pinpoint any weakness so to work on it to avoid injuries as much as possible. My questions; Is UCD the best place for these tests and have any of you had experiences there?

drquirky

thewolf_ie wrote: »

Hi folks,

I am going to try fit in some testing such of Vo2 etc during this year before I hit the ultra distance. Simply I want a baseline and to pinpoint any weakness so to work on it to avoid injuries as much as possible. My questions; Is UCD the best place for these tests and have any of you had experiences there?

Not trying to be a prick at all but why would you get VO2 max testing before an ultra? This would be completely irrelevant for the distance....

thewolf_ie

drquirky wrote: »

Not trying to be a prick at all but why would you get VO2 max testing before an ultra? This would be completely irrelevant for the distance....

No problem at all. Why would it be irrelevant? I know nothing about it other than that it is a way of knowing how high you threshold is. I read somewhere about Vo2 and would like to see where I'm at. I guess I'm interested more in muscle inbalance and body composition etc. don't get me wrong I love to run but the geek in my likes numbers to calculator and munipliate!

TFBubendorfer

VO2 max does not measure your threshold (apart from the fact that there are at least a dozen "thresholds" relevant to running; I presume you mean the lactate threshold). It basically tells you how much oxygen you can burn.

For a 5k runner, this is absolutely crucial. For an ultra, it's completely irrelevant because ultras are run at a much lower intensity and oxygen burn rate has no influence on it whatsoever.

thewolf_ie

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

VO2 max does not measure your threshold (apart from the fact that there are at least a dozen "thresholds" relevant to running; I presume you mean the lactate threshold). It basically tells you how much oxygen you can burn.

For a 5k runner, this is absolutely crucial. For an ultra, it's completely irrelevant because ultras are run at a much lower intensity and oxygen burn rate has no influence on it whatsoever.

Thank you that is useful. So it is pointless me attending something like this? Do you think the body composition tests would be of any use?

TFBubendorfer

thewolf_ie wrote: »

Thank you that is useful. So it is pointless me attending something like this? Do you think the body composition tests would be of any use?

Well, ask yourself what you would get out of it if you did the testing.

Would you get a new training regime? Do the people running those tests have experience in advising ultra runners how to train? Do you expect it will improve your training?

If yes, then go ahead. It won't do any harm (apart from hitting your wallet, maybe).

I have been tempted to do a test myself on a couple of occasions, but each time I basically went through the above questions and came up with a "no", so I did not.

From a nerdy, sciency point of view I would be interesting in knowing my VO2max, but from my training paces and heart rates I think I have a reasonably good estimate of it anyway, and I really don't think I would have walked away with an improved training plan had I done it.

walshb

Would VO2 testing be more beneficial for a miler or a 5 k runner? I would think the miler pushes his/her body a wee bit harder.

thewolf_ie

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Well, ask yourself what you would get out of it if you did the testing.

Would you get a new training regime? Do the people running those tests have experience in advising ultra runners how to train? Do you expect it will improve your training?

If yes, then go ahead. It won't do any harm (apart from hitting your wallet, maybe).

I have been tempted to do a test myself on a couple of occasions, but each time I basically went through the above questions and came up with a "no", so I did not.

From a nerdy, sciency point of view I would be interesting in knowing my VO2max, but from my training paces and heart rates I think I have a reasonably good estimate of it anyway, and I really don't think I would have walked away with an improved training plan had I done it.

Thank you for your help. I am going to do something with them like the body composition to identify weakness and plan to try fix it.

ASIMON0V

I got the vo2 / lactate tested with them a few years ago. overall it was a great experience - very tough session - i wouldn't spend my last 100 or so euros on it but probably worth the money if you have it to spare. from an ultra training point of view it will help with your HR training zones - so you can be pretty accurate on training paces. If you are interested in it - go for it

thirstywork2

Do ultra runners not do any speed endurance or lactate treshold runs?
Surely a Vo2 max test would be benefical for any type of runner???

Killian Jornet would be the best around and gets his done.

Even among top athletes, Jornet is an outlier. Take his VO2 max, a measure of a person’s ability to consume oxygen and a factor in determining aerobic endurance. An average male’s VO2 max is 45 to 55 ml/kg/min. A college-level 10,000-meter runner’s max is typically 60 to 70. Jornet’s VO2 max is 89.5 — one of the highest recorded, according to Daniel Brotons Cuixart, a sports specialist at the University of Barcelona who tested Jornet last fall. Jornet simply has more men in the engine room, shoveling coal. “I’ve not seen any athletes higher than the low 80s, and we’ve tested some elite athletes,” says Edward Coyle, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin, who has studied the limits of human exercise performance for three decades

ultrapercy

thirstywork2 wrote: »

Do ultra runners not do any speed endurance or lactate treshold runs?
Surely a Vo2 max test would be benefical for any type of runner???

Killian Jornet would be the best around and gets his done.

Even among top athletes, Jornet is an outlier. Take his VO2 max, a measure of a person’s ability to consume oxygen and a factor in determining aerobic endurance. An average male’s VO2 max is 45 to 55 ml/kg/min. A college-level 10,000-meter runner’s max is typically 60 to 70. Jornet’s VO2 max is 89.5 — one of the highest recorded, according to Daniel Brotons Cuixart, a sports specialist at the University of Barcelona who tested Jornet last fall. Jornet simply has more men in the engine room, shoveling coal. “I’ve not seen any athletes higher than the low 80s, and we’ve tested some elite athletes,” says Edward Coyle, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin, who has studied the limits of human exercise performance for three decades

I agree. If marathon runners benefit from these tests and Im lead to believe they do, why would Ultra runners not? There is no magic barrier, that I know of, at 26.2 miles where the laws of physics cease to exist. These types of tests and values are prob of most use to sharp end elite runners but all the rest of us would benefit more or less equally Id say.

thewolf_ie

ASIMON0V wrote: »

I got the vo2 / lactate tested with them a few years ago. overall it was a great experience - very tough session - i wouldn't spend my last 100 or so euros on it but probably worth the money if you have it to spare. from an ultra training point of view it will help with your HR training zones - so you can be pretty accurate on training paces. If you are interested in it - go for it

I'm getting as a Father's Day present! My kids know me well!

TFBubendorfer

thirstywork2 wrote: »

Do ultra runners not do any speed endurance or lactate treshold runs?

I do, but I do not need to have my Vo2max tested for that.

thirstywork2 wrote: »

Killian Jornet would be the best around and gets his done.

As far as I know he does virtually all his running in the mountains, and I don't think he uses a HRM to dictate his training effort in accordance to his latest Vo2max test.

village runner

thewolf_ie wrote: »

I'm getting as a Father's Day present! My kids know me well!

Anyone got a phone number or a link to The site ?
Thanks
VR

thewolf_ie

village runner wrote: »

Anyone got a phone number or a link to The site ?
Thanks
VR

Are we allowed post links? PM sent.

TFBubendorfer

thewolf_ie wrote: »

Are we allowed post links? PM sent.

MOD post: yes, of course you can post links

You are not allowed to come on here purely for the purpose of promoting your own business, but posting links like that is of course allowed

thewolf_ie

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

MOD post: yes, of course you can post links

You are not allowed to come on here purely for the purpose of promoting your own business, but posting links like that is of course allowed

Thanks

Here is the link I was looking at.

http://www.ucd.ie/sportandhealth/sss/laboratory/