Welcome to the Critical Oxygen Podcast! In this episode Dr. Robby Jacobs and I talk about the three main predictors of endurance performance. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), metabolic thresholds (i.e. lactate, ventilatory (oxygen and carbon dioxide), etc.), and economy/efficiency.

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OUTLINE:
0:00 – Introduction
0:20 – What we know from research and biological variability.
3:11 – What can we take away from a bad study?
5:10 – The challenge with human studies
5:46 – Be open to changing your ideas based on the research!
6:39 – The optimal training plan example
8:23 – Our plan to share research
10:10 – Predictors of endurance performance
13:28 – Maximal Oxygen Consumption
15:06 – Metabolic Thresholds
16:03 – Is VO2max the third threshold?
17:23 – Lactate and ventilatory thresholds
19:32 – First threshold
20:11 – is first threshold FATMAX?!
21:55 – How can we use multiple different devices to predict our thresholds?
22:50 – What do our different thresholds tell us?
25:07 – Are critical power and vo2max the same thing in some situations?
27:08 – Why altitude reduces your VO2max and performance?
28:12 – Altitude is cooler, does that help performance?
30:19 – How to change your pacing at altitude
31:34 – The importance of economy
33:00 – What sports need to emphasize economy?
34:14 – Why is running economy so important.
38:15 – Force plate testing for economy.
40:01 – What is the most efficient speed and cadence for you?
41:49 – Why I did a 50km 2 weeks before my Ph.D. defense.
44:54 – What predictors of performance did I consider for my ultra?
46:25 – my connection with weight and endurance performance
49:23 – My 50km training plan.
51:59 – Erg mode is brutal, here is the theory why
56:09 – Type I fibers and why they are important
58:57 – Why Rich Froning was an Animal
1:01:33 – Muscle predictors of endurance performance
1:04:31 – The role of mitochondria in performance
1:04:57 – How do the mitochondria respond to exercise?
1:08:16 – What the physiology is cristae density?
1:10:07 – The mitochondria myoglobin capillary axis
1:10:40 – How NIRS can help us understand our muscle physiology.
1:13:28 – Isolated mitochondria
1:14:57 - Outro