Ok. I really suck at VO3 training. Really suck. I can’t get past 2 min of 115/% FTP without complete air hunger and exhaustion. If that normal. Does perception of effort vary or is there something I should look at. I’m not having cardiac symptoms trust me
You might have a touch of asthma exercised induced or in general.
I tried an inhaler 10-15 mins before workout and has made a big difference. Ymmv search online and consult a dr if youre wheezing or breathing is restricted.
Mark, just as a possibility, could it be that you are overheating? Indoor cycling requires forced cooling. I use three fans when I do my workout, and for VO2 max I would surely turn all my fans to the max! A cool space, like a garage in spring, is not nearly the same thing as powerful fans.
You see, one you overheat, heart has to work extra hard to deliver more blood to the skin to cool down the internal organs. The end result of overheating is perception of exhaustion and shortness of breath.
I thought if this but I don’t develop any wheeze. None at all. Typically exercise induced asthma has some findings
I think you are into something. Today at 2 min or 2:30 of 115% I had to get off the bike (and I HAD to) and go outside in - 7 Celsius. So maybe it is overheating - but I’m amazed it happens so quickly
Reportedly, our bodies are not very efficient in generating mechanical power: I saw numbers which show that our body generates as much as 3 times more energy as heat than as mechanical power. What it means, if you, just to use a round number as an example, ride at 250 watts in Zwift, your body produces 750 watts as heat. Our bodies require a very stable temperature to function properly. Our body will work very hard to prevent internal temperature from rising by more than a degree or so during a workout. This means, resources are mobilized for cooling down the body and taken away from producing mechanical energy. When you ride a bike outdoors, you get a tremendous amount of cooling from air flow. Even several efficient fans do not get even remotely close to that. But they still make a tremendous difference!
To add to it, when you do a spinning workout in the gym, you do it by the feel - by how your breathing feels, how you sweat. In Zwift, you do power based workouts. They may push you harder than what you feel comfortable doing without proper cooling. However, they do mimic a solid workout which you could do on a bike outdoors, with natural air movement!
I think too many people underestimate the importance of proper cooling in indoor cycling.
1 Like
It was the evolution of sweat-based cooling that enabled early humans to hunt down antelopes on the African savannah. All they had to do was jog after their prey for about 5 hours. The antelope would keep sprinting away then having to rest, until it couldn’t do it any more. Then Mr Hominid would saunter up for dinner.
1 Like