Cardiovascular Training

Adam Jajtner, CSCS1/23/13

Benefits of Cardiorespiratory Training

• Increased exercise efficiency• Decreased resting heart rate• Increased cardiac output• Increased lactate threshold• Improved recovery• Decreased body fat• Among MANY others

Modes of Cardiovascular Training• Running• Cycling• Swimming• Elliptical• Rowing• Others

Energy Systems in the Body• Three main systems– Immediate energy stores– Glycolytic system– Oxidative system

• All have specific instances they are used• All function to produce ATP (Energy)

Immediate Energy Stores• The amount of ATP immediately available• The amount of PCr available for immediate

use– PCr is used to synthesize ATP

• Used for explosive movements

Glycolytic System• Anaerobic energy pathway• Used for activities lasting up to 1-2 minutes• Involves the production of lactate and

hydrogen ions

Oxidative System• Aerobic energy pathway• Used for activities lasting longer than 2

minutes and recovery

Goals of Cardiovascular Training

Goals of Cardiovascular Training• Improve Aerobic Capacity• Increase Lactate Threshold• Improve Exercise Economy• Secondary goals may include– Weight Loss– Improved health

Maximum Aerobic Capacity• VO2 Max• The maximum amount of oxygen used by the working

muscles

Lactate Threshold• The point where lactate production exceeds

lactate clearance• In theory, you could exercise forever, if you

remain below this point

Exercise Economy• Exercise Efficiency• How much energy is used for a given work

load• This can be tested through metabolic analysis

Types of Training Programs

Types of Training Programs• Long Slow Distance– About 70% (60-80%) of max effort– “Conversation pace”– Longer duration– Should make up the majority of training program

when first starting training, and should decrease with a greater aerobic capacity

Types of Training Programs• Pace/Tempo Training– At lactate threshold or slightly faster than race

pace– Often referred to as threshold training– Can be done continuously or intermittent

Types of Training Programs• Interval Training– Should be at an intensity close to 100% VO2 max– Exercise bouts are shorter (30 sec to 3-5 min) with

a 1:1 work:rest ratio– Should not be performed until a firm aerobic base

is attained

Types of Training Programs• Repetition Training– Completed at intensities greater than VO2 max– Exercise bouts last 30-90 seconds– Work:Rest ratio = 1:5– As before, should not be used until a strong

Types of Training Programs• Fartlek Training– Involves a mixture of LSD and HIT– An individual would exercise for 1 minute at 70%

and then 95% for 1 minute, and repeat through the duration of the exercise bout

How to Determine Training Intensity

• Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE)• Metabolic Equivalents (METs) • Heart Rate– Most Preferable in most cases

• Power Measurements– Can be very useful in many cases

Heart Rate Calculations• Measuring Resting HR– Lie in a dark, quiet room for at least 10-15

minutes– After 10-15+ minutes of relaxing in a supine

position, take your resting heart rate

Heart Rate Calculations• Maximum Heart Rate– Measuring– Calculating• 220-Age• 205-(1/2 Age) - (Males only)• Ball State

– Males: 203.9 – (.812*Age) + (.276*RHR)-(0.084*kg)-(4.5*SC)– Females: 204.8-(0.718*age)+(0.162*RHR)-(0.105*kg)-(6.2*SC)

Heart Rate Calculations• Karvonen Formula– Predicts Training zone from a combination of resting

heart rate and maximum heart rate– Why use this over a straight % of max heart rate?

Training Intensity = RHR + ((MHR-RHR)*Intensity)

RHR = Resting HR Heart Rate ReserveMHR = Max HR

Duration and Progression• Duration is often determined by the intensity• Total training load should not increase by

more than 10% each week• Progression can be manipulated with a variety

of combinations of:– Frequency– Intensity– Duration

Overtraining• Overreaching– Beginning to see signs of reduced performance– Best to catch at this point; only about 3-6 months

to recover

• Overtraining– Individual is unable to perform at desired level– 6 months to 1 year to recover

Fat Burning Zone• Based on the fact that at lower intensity a

greater percentage of fat is used as fuel• While this is true, it doesn’t tell the whole story• Example

– If an individual exercises at a low intensity, they can burn ~200 calories in 30 mins, 50% coming from Fat, 50% from CHO = 100 calories in Fat

– If an individual exercises at a high intensity, the can burn ~ 400 calories in 30 mins, 30-40% from Fat, 60-70% from CHO = 120-160 calories in Fat

Fat Burning Zone• While this may make theoretical sense, once

applied, it is no more than one of the many gimmicks that surround health and fitness

Questions?