On: Translating the science of endurance and extreme human performance

Episode: 151

Date: 1 March 2021

Journalist and author of “Endure“.

Key Subjects

• VO2 max: how much aerobic energy can you deliver.
  • Amount of oxygen per unit time (per Kg) you can process at maximum effort.
    • Circulatory system: lungs, heart, muscle ability to extract, etc.
  • Plateaus.
    • Not clear what part of the system is the limiting factor.
  • But you can still go faster.
    • Using other systems.
  • In theory, VO2 max is independent of motivation.
    • But perhaps not that useful comparing different people.
• Trade-off between VO2 max and muscle efficiency.
  • As you deliver more energy to the muscles, they become less efficient at using it.
  • Perhaps you’re good at either one (VO2 max) or the other (efficiency) (at elite levels).
  • Implication: don’t overly focus on VO2 max, include zone 2 training (efficiency).
• Role of the brain in exercising and health.
  • Understanding of and comfort with body’s distress signals.
• Exercise and longevity: amount of exercise.
  • J-shaped curve:
    • Initial: increased exercise (volume) -> decreased mortality.
    • At some point: increased exercise (volume) -> increased mortality.
    • Somewhat controversial, but true at least at the extreme.
  • Exercising too much: probably not an issue:
    • Most people are not close to the upward inflection point.
  • Don’t need much exercise to get benefit of the J-curve.
    • As little as one hour a week.
• Exercise and longevity: type of exercise.
  • Most people focus on exercise volume, rather than optimizing exercise composition.
    • Vary intensity (Hit), work on strength and stability, vary energy systems, etc.
  • Requires understanding of your goals.
    • What do you want to be able to do at what age.
    • What do you need (muscle mass / strength, flexibility aerobic fitness, etc.).
• Injury prevention.
  • You gain metabolic fitness faster than you can improve the strength and flexibility of your muscles, ligaments and tendons.
  • Progress slowly to let the rest of your body catch up.
    • Helpful indicator: ratio of 1 week versus 4 week average work load.
• Interval training.
  • You need it to run faster.
  • You can’t only do interval training.
  • Type of interval (1 minute versus 20 seconds) depends less on what’s best (efficacy) than on what you are most likely to continue doing (effectiveness).
• Do the hardest thing possible.
  • You can only slide in one direction (down).
• Don’t worry too much about whether you are talented or not.
  • Most people don’t get near their genetic potential.