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The Science of Performance |
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What Makes Lance Armstrong So Good?
In 1993, at age 21, Lance Armstrong was an up and coming professional cyclist, having just turned professional the prior year. In 1999, two months shy of his 28th birthday Lance won the first of 7 consecutive Tour de France victories. What changed physiologically in Lance’s body between ages 21 and 28 that resulted in him advancing from being a new professional to becoming the Grand Champion of the Tour de France? If you are well versed in traditional endurance physiology theories you will likely say something along the lines of “increased VO2max and improved lactate threshold. Would you be right? Did one or both of these physiological variables improve so dramatically in Lance over a 7 year period that he was catapulted from “good enough to be a professional” to “best in the world”? Lucky for us, an exercise physiologist at the University of Texas was afforded the opportunity to test Lance multiple times in his rise from new professional to multiple Tour de France winner. This physiologist, Dr. Ed Coyle, head of the Human Performance Lab at UT, published his findings in the June 2005 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology (1), allowing us a peek inside the changes that occurred in Lance’s body during his rise to cycling stardom. The information is quite fascinating, so let’s have a look at it. VO2max Dr. Coyle noted that Lance’s preseason “VO2max during the preseason months of November through January generally ranged from 5.56 to 5.82 l/min (about 70.5 ml∙kg-1 ∙min-1) during the period of 1992-1999” and was stable during this period. Dr. Coyle also noted that Lance’s VO2max increased during the competitive season to a very high 6.1 l/min or 81.2 ml∙kg-1 ∙min-1, but that this high level was also stable during the tested periods. “VO2max during the competitive season of 1993, soon after winning the World Road Racing Championships, was 6.1 l/min and 81.2 ml∙kg-1 ∙min-1…These physiological factors remained relatively stable from age 21 to 28 yr.” As would be expected, Lance’s VO2max declined during the time he was receiving cancer treatment. However, after beating cancer and resuming his professional career, Lance’s VO2max returned to pre-cancer levels and remained stable throughout the remainder of the testing period. Aside from the expected increase in VO2max from preseason to competitive season and a decrease in his VO2max during the time he was undergoing cancer treatment, there was no long term change in Lance’s VO2max so his performance in the Tour is not attributable to increases in his maximum ability to process oxygen. Lactate Threshold It’s not all that surprising that Lance’s VO2max didn’t increase from 1992-1999. After all, VO2max doesn’t change all that much anyway and he was already a professional cyclist, albeit a new professional, when first tested. Theoretically, his VO2max would have increased prior to joining the professional ranks; theoretically it would have increased in his younger years when he first began training and could have plateaued by the time he reached the professional ranks. On the other hand, modern training theory would suggest improvements in Lance’s lactate threshold would either accompany or be the reason for his improved performance as he progressed from new professional to Grand Champion of the Tour. Modern training theory suggests that improving lactate threshold is a key to improved performance. PhD exercise physiologist and author Pete Pfitzinger had this to say about the significance of lactate threshold in his book Advance Marathoning, “A high lactate threshold is the most important physiological variable for endurance athletes. Your lactate threshold most directly determines your performance limit in any event lasting more than 30 minutes.”(2) In terms of the importance of improving lactate threshold he has this to say in his book Road Racing for Serious Runners, “…lactate threshold training is the most important type of training for distance runners…”(3). While Pete’s books are for runners, note that he states in the first quote that lactate threshold is important to any and all endurance athletes. Modern training theory suggests that as an athlete gets in increasingly better shape lactate threshold will improve – meaning that the athlete will be able to exercise at increasingly higher intensities before reaching lactate threshold, resulting in improved performance. Pete explains that high lactate levels interfere with energy production and performance and that “with the correct training, adaptations occur inside your muscle fibers that allow you to run at a higher intensity without building up lactate.”(4) Pete writes that an average person reaches lactate threshold at 75 – 80% of VO2max, successful marathoners at 84 – 88% of VO2max, and elite marathoners at 88 – 91% of VO2max. What all this means is that it would be expected that improvements in Lance’s lactate threshold would account for changes in his performance. Do improvements in Lance’s lactate threshold explain his improved performance? No, they do not. Dr. Coyle found that Lance’s lactate threshold, like his VO2max, remained stable throughout the entire 7 year testing period and occurred at an average and normal range of 76 – 85% of VO2max. (In contrast to the less than elite classification that Lance’s lactate threshold would be classified into by Pfitzinger’s comments above, Dr. Coyle characterized Lance’s lactate threshold as high). An improved lactate threshold does not explain the improvements that catapulted Lance to the top of the cycling world. What Changed? If changes in VO2max and lactate threshold don’t account for Lance’s world beating success, what does? The answer is power-to-weight ratio. Let’s discuss what that means. First, Lance’s absolute power output increased 8-9% in the testing period. Power is a measure of the amount of work being done and the amount of time it is done. For example, if you run 3 miles in 27 minutes today and then run 3 miles in 26 minutes next week, you’ve increased your power output. So, power is a multiple of how much force you are producing and how long you produce it. Increasing power output results in improved performance. Lance’s power output increased progressively throughout the testing period – meaning he could go faster longer. For example, his power output at a VO2max of 5.0 l/min increased from 374 watts to 403 watts. The result of this increase is that at the same level of effort (% of oxygen consumption) he was able to ride faster. This is the same as saying that at 80% effort you improved your running pace from 8 minutes per mile to a 7:30 minute per mile. You would be running at the same level of effort (80%) yet your pace would be faster, resulting in improved performance for the same level of intensity. Lance’s muscles became 8-9% more powerful from 1992 to 1999. The other part of our formula, weight, also changed. Lance decreased his bodyweight 15 lbs, (from 78.9 kg to ~72 kg) between 1992 and his first victory in the Tour. For the same power output, less weight means higher performance. By dropping his body mass 15 lbs. Lance significantly and positively affected his power-to-weight ratio. These two – increased absolute power output and decreased bodyweight – effectively resulted in a 18% improvement in power output. This phenomenal increase in power output catapulted Lance from professional rider to the best cyclist in the world 7 consecutive times. Dr. Coyle writes, “It appears that an 8% improvement in muscular efficiency and thus power production when cycling at a given oxygen uptake (VO2) is the characteristic that improved most as this athlete matured from ages 21 to 28 yr…Therefore, over the 7-yr period, an improvement in muscular efficiency and reduced body fat contributed equally to a remarkable 18% improvement in his steady-state power per kilogram body weight when cycling at a given VO2 (e.g., 5 l/min).” Table 1 sums the changes in Lance’s physiological measures from 1992 – 1999. Table 1: Changes in various physiological characteristics from 1992 - 1999
Why Did It Change? What caused Lance’s muscles to become more powerful? Dr. Coyle answers this question with these words, “The physiological mechanisms responsible for the 8% improvements…are unclear.” Dr. Coyle went on to speculate that the conversion of type II fibers into type I fibers might explain the increased power output. Conversely, I speculate that Lance’s increased power output is due to positive changes in his muscle contractility. These improvements in muscle contractility would have been caused by resistance training resulting from the increased intensity and volume of uphill cycle training Lance performed in preparation for the Tour de France. The training methods to increase power output are not a mystery to the powerlifting or bodybuilding worlds – resistance training is the time tested method for increasing power output. Cycling uphill is a form of resistance training, and as such increases muscle strength and power output. Increasing the intensity and volume of uphill cycle training will place a greater load on the cyclist’s muscles, which will adapt by becoming stronger and, especially, more powerful. I suggest this likely accounts for the 8% improvements measured in Lance’s power output. I would also note that for several years now I have been writing that muscle, and not the aerobic system, plays the dominant role in endurance performance. Based on multiple research studies showing a strong correlation between sprint performance and endurance performance I have proposed that muscle power is the primary determinant of endurance performance. The results of this study support my reasoning, adding to the body of research upon which Power Running is based. (For a more in depth discussion of the influence muscles have on endurance performance, see the articles “The Role of Muscle in Performance” and “Muscle Contractility” in the physiology section of my web site.) Can You Achieve the Same? Now you know that improving his power-to-weight ratio is at the heart of Lance’s performance improvements. Here’s another important question to consider - how unique is Lance Armstrong? Is he physiologically a normal man and his results attributable to sheer hard work or is there something special about him that allowed him to perform at such high levels? Could you achieve similar results? On this topic, Dr. Coyle writes, “A VO2max in the range of 56-62 ml∙kg-1 ∙min-1 is generally believed to be the highest value that the average man who is not genetically endowed for endurance can achieve with prolonged and very intense endurance training. As such, it appears that in the detrained state, this individual’s VO2max is in the range of the highest values that normal man can achieve with training.” What does this mean? It means that even untrained Lance is better than most. If you are a person with genetics in the high normal range it means that if you dedicated yourself to training that at your pinnacle of performance if you were to challenge Lance to a race and he hadn’t been training at all, you might be able to tie him. If your genetics are in the mid to low normal range, then in a race against Lance with you at your absolute lifetime peak of ability and Lance in an untrained state, he would still beat you. Lance’s starting point of performance is as high as the maximum that an average person can ever hope to achieve through a decade or more of intense effort and training. Lance’s success is enabled by his unique genetic gifts. This is not to say that Lance didn’t work incredibly hard in order to perform as he did. There is no question that he was an incredibly disciplined and hard trainer. The point is that genetically Lance is a very special person – he has a lot more genetic talent to work with and his untrained state is as good as the average person’s most highly trained state. Dr. Coyle summed up his view on this topic with these words, “Clearly, this champion embodies a phenomenon of both genetic natural selection and the extreme to which the human can adapt to endurance training performed for a decade of more in a person who is truly inspired.” Summary Lance went from professional cyclist to the only 7 time Tour de France winner in the history of the sport. In contrast to modern thought on the importance of increases in lactate threshold to improved performance for endurance athletes, his results are explained by an 18% in power to weight ratio – an 8% in absolute power output and a 15 lb drop in body mass. Lance’s improved performance due to increased power output is in agreement with a body of existing research supporting a belief that muscle power is the primary influencer of endurance performance. Additionally, his genetic talents are truly exceptional and his capabilities in an untrained state are as high as or higher than the average person could ever hope to achieve at their absolute lifetime peak of performance. Reference: 1. Coyle, E. Improved Muscular Efficiency Displayed as Tour de France Champion Matures, J Appl Physiol, 98: 2191-2196, 2005. 2. Pfitzinger P, Douglas S. Advanced Marathoning, Human Kinetics, 2001, pg 14 3. Pfitzinger P, Douglas S. Road Racing for Serious Runners, Human Kinetics, 1999, pg 41 4. Pfitzinger P, Douglas S. Advanced Marathoning, Human Kinetics, 2001, pg 16
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