#331 ‒ Optimizing endurance performance: metrics, nutrition, lactate, and more insights from elite performers | Olav Aleksander Bu (Pt. 2)
In this episode of The Peter Attia Drive, Peter Attia and Olav Aleksander Bu explore key performance metrics like FTP, critical power, lactate threshold, and VO2 max, providing insights into an athlete's training and competition potential. They discuss how testing modalities and protocols impact metric assessment along with factors influencing variation across endurance sports.
Bu highlights differences in training adaptations and biomechanical considerations for triathletes compared to single-sport athletes. The conversation delves into endurance athletes' nutritional strategies, including pushing traditional carbohydrate absorption limits and exploring alternative substrates like lactate as potential energy sources. Attia and Bu emphasize the importance of personalized nutrition monitoring and adjustments to optimize performance.
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1-Page Summary
Performance Metrics and Their Measurement
According to Peter Attia and Olav Aleksander Bu, key metrics like FTP (Functional Threshold Power), critical power, anaerobic threshold, lactate threshold, and VO2 max provide insight into an athlete's performance capacity. FTP estimates the highest sustainable hourly power, while critical power distinguishes "severe" from "non-severe" exercise intensities. The lactate and anaerobic thresholds mark the points where lactate production rises.
Testing Consistency and Modality Impact Metrics
Bu emphasizes standardized testing protocols and pre-test conditions for consistent VO2 max assessment across athletes. VO2 max differs between exercise modalities like running and cycling. Attia suggests normalizing VO2 max to weight for cross-individual comparison.
Performance Differences Across Endurance Sports
Training Adaptations and Trade-Offs
Triathletes like Christian and Gustav balance training across sports to maintain VO2 max while building power for shorter durations, trading some efficiency compared to single-sport specialists. Athletes prioritize VO2 max or efficiency based on their event's needs.
Biomechanics and Technique Matter
Bu notes that despite high VO2 max, Christian and Gustav exhibit lower swimming efficiency than elite swimmers due to triathlon's training balance. Attia highlights the impact of optimizing position and minimizing drag in cycling and swimming.
Nutrition and Fueling Strategies For Endurance Athletes
High Carbohydrate Intake Absorption
Christian and Gustav consume up to 240g of carbs per hour using hydrogels during training and competition, surpassing traditional limits. Attia mentions their specific training to tolerate such high carb levels.
Exploring Alternative Substrates
While challenges exist in using ketones as a competition fuel, Attia and Bu discuss the potential of utilizing lactate as an energy source through transporters and oral delivery.
Personalized Nutrition Monitoring
Attia and Bu stress customized fueling and hydration plans based on athlete preferences and responses. Continuous monitoring and adjustment of nutrition strategies is key for optimizing performance.
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Counterarguments
- While FTP and other metrics are useful, they may not capture the full complexity of an athlete's performance, as factors like mental toughness, recovery, and strategy also play significant roles.
- The emphasis on VO2 max may overshadow other important physiological markers such as efficiency, economy, and fatigue resistance, which can be equally important for performance.
- Standardized testing protocols for VO2 max may not account for day-to-day variations in an athlete's condition or external factors such as environmental conditions.
- Normalizing VO2 max to weight might not always be the best comparison metric for athletes in sports where power-to-weight ratio isn't the sole determinant of performance.
- The focus on maintaining high VO2 max levels in multi-sport athletes like triathletes might lead to underestimating the importance of sport-specific skills and tactics.
- The high carbohydrate intake strategies mentioned may not be suitable for all athletes, as individual responses to such diets can vary greatly.
- The exploration of alternative substrates like lactate as an energy source is still in its infancy, and more research is needed to understand its efficacy and safety.
- Personalized nutrition and hydration plans, while ideal, may not be feasible for all athletes due to logistical, financial, or practical constraints.
- Continuous monitoring and adjustment of nutrition strategies can be beneficial, but it may also lead to excessive micromanagement, which could be stressful or counterproductive for some athletes.
Actionables
- You can track your exercise performance by creating a simple spreadsheet where you log your workouts, including details like duration, intensity, and how you felt afterward, to observe patterns and progress over time.
- Start by logging basic information such as the type of exercise, duration, and perceived effort on a scale of 1 to 10. Over weeks and months, you'll be able to see trends, such as improvements in how long you can sustain a certain intensity or how quickly you recover. This self-monitoring can help you understand your own thresholds and capacities without needing complex equipment.
- Experiment with different types of workouts to find out how your body responds to various exercise modalities, like running, cycling, or swimming, and note any differences in your performance and recovery.
- For example, you might run three times a week for a month, then switch to cycling the next month, and finally to swimming. Keep a journal of how each modality feels, how quickly you tire, and how your body recovers. This can give you insights into which exercise suits you best and how you might need to adjust your training if you decide to switch modalities.
- Try incorporating a new high-carbohydrate food or drink into your longer workout sessions each week to see how your body tolerates and adapts to different fuel sources.
- Begin with a small amount of a new carbohydrate-rich snack or drink during a long workout and gradually increase the quantity each week. Pay attention to how your stomach feels and your energy levels. This can help you develop a personalized fueling strategy that supports your endurance activities without causing discomfort or energy crashes.
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Performance Metrics and Their Measurement
Peter Attia and Olav Aleksander Bu discuss the crucial role of performance metrics such as FTP, critical power, anaerobic threshold, lactate threshold, and VO2 max in assessing athletic performance.
Key Performance Metrics: Definitions and Relationships For Ftp, Critical Power, Anaerobic Threshold, Lactate Threshold
Metrics like FTP or critical power capture significant information about an athlete's capacity, but their usage is often one-dimensional, fixating on simple power numbers rather than a comprehensive analysis.
Ftp Reflects Peak Hourly Sustainable Power; Critical Power Separates "Severe" From "Non-severe" Exercise With Advanced Math
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is designed to estimate the highest energy output an athlete can maintain over an hour. Traditionally, FTP is measured with a five-minute all-out effort, followed by a 20-minute all-out effort from which 5% is subtracted. Nevertheless, there are inconsistencies and variations in how FTP is assessed, with different protocols suggesting 10% subtraction after a 20-minute effort. Critical power, on the other hand, is calculated through multiple all-out efforts, followed by reverse extrapolation, distinguishing between "non-severe" and "severe" exertion levels.
Anaerobic and Lactate Thresholds Mark the Intensity Where Lactate Production Rises, Varying By Athlete's Training and Sport
FTP, connected to the anaerobic threshold, is an intensity an athlete can uphold for around an hour and is typically tested with a 20-minute effort. HumaneAI's wearable AI device is mentioned, projecting information onto the user's hand. Critical power lies somewhere between the maximum lactate steady state or anaerobic threshold, and VO2max. Anaerobic threshold occurs at the steady state exercise level becomes unsteady, which can be below critical power or FTP when measured with lactate as the locating principle.
Metrics Provide More Granular Information Across Multiple Durations
The lactate threshold is an inflection point in the lactate curve amidst incremental intensity hikes, but it's not constant and can be influenced by factors like hydration. Usage of lactate concentration to gauge thresholds is suggested, with example levels given for LT1 and LT2. Performance metrics such as critical power and FTP can offer insight into an athlete's capacity across multiple durations, guiding the balance in training between endurance and speed.
Impact of Consistent Testing Protocols and Modality on Performance Metrics
Vo2 Max Metrics Vary By Exercise Modality
Vo2 max metrics differ among exercise modalities such as swimming, cycling, and running, with even the world’s best showing efficiencies differing by sport. Vo2 max is considered a top metric for human health and performance, although it offers a one-dimensional view and doesn’t capture capacity, a more effective predictor of performance.
Standardized Testing Crucial for Consistent Metric ...
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Performance Metrics and Their Measurement
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Clarifications
- Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest power output an athlete can sustain for an hour. Critical power distinguishes between different exercise intensities. Anaerobic threshold is the point where lactate production increases significantly. VO2 max is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption during intense exercise.
- Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is typically calculated by performing a 20-minute all-out effort and subtracting a percentage from the average power achieved. Critical Power is determined through multiple maximal efforts of varying durations, with the data used to distinguish between different exercise intensity levels. FTP is often used to estimate sustainable power output over an hour, while Critical Power helps differentiate between "severe" and "non-severe" exercise intensities.
- Critical power is a measure that separates different levels of exercise intensity. It lies between the maximum lactate steady state or anaerobic threshold and VO2 max. Anaerobic threshold is the point where exercise intensity becomes unsteady, and it can be below critical power or FTP when measured using lactate as a reference. Lactate threshold marks the intensity where lactate production increases, varying based on an athlete's training and sport. VO2 max is a key metric for assessing aerobic capacity and performance, but it offers a limited view and doesn't fully capture an athlete's potential.
- Lactate concentration is used to gauge thresholds during exercise to determine the intensity levels at which an athlete's lactate production starts to rise significantly. These thresholds, known as lactate thresholds (LT1 and LT2), indicate the points where the body transitions from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism. By monitoring lactate levels, athletes and coaches can tailor training programs to improve performance at these critical intensity levels. The use of lactate concentration as a metric provides valuable insights into an athlete's physiological responses to exercise and helps optimize training strategies for enhanced endurance and perfo ...
Counterarguments
- FTP may not accurately reflect an athlete's sustainable power due to individual differences in power-duration relationships.
- Critical power models may oversimplify the complex nature of exercise physiology and fatigue.
- The anaerobic threshold is a concept with varying definitions and may not be the most precise marker for training intensity.
- Lactate threshold determination can be influenced by external factors and may not provide a complete picture of an athlete's performance capabilities.
- While metrics like critical power and FTP provide insights, they may not fully account for the tactical and psychological aspects of athletic performance.
- VO2 max, while useful, is not the sole determinant of performance, and its importance can be overstated rela ...
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Performance Differences Across Endurance Sports
Performance in endurance sports is influenced by an athlete’s training regimen, VO2 max, and biomechanics, all of which can dictate the outcome in competitive events such as marathons, triathlons, and cycling races.
Adaptations and Trade-Offs in Training For Endurance Disciplines
Olav Aleksander Bu and Peter Attia discuss the complex balance between an athlete's physical adaptations and the trade-offs they make during training to excel in their specific endurance disciplines.
Triathletes Balance Training, Sacrificing Efficiency vs. Single-Sport Specialists
For triathletes like Christian and Gustav, excelling across swimming, cycling, and running demands a careful balance of training that allows them to maintain a minimal decline in VO2 max while still building power for shorter durations. Bu explains that focusing on high power for activities such as one-minute or five-minute outputs could hinder the specificity required for an Ironman event, suggesting a compromise in efficiency compared to single-sport specialists.
Athletes Prioritize Vo2 Max or Efficiency Based On Event Needs
Bu sheds light on the fact that endurance athletes like marathoners and triathletes need to sustain energy close to their VO2 max for the duration of their event. He points out the exceptionally high VO2 max values of triathletes Christian and Gustav, which are among the highest ever measured. However, an excessive VO2 max may not necessarily confer additional advantages for the endurance disciplines in which they compete. Bu further confirms that Christian's watts per kilogram increased with his weight gain, which is particularly significant given his weight of 80 kilograms.
The Impact of Biomechanics and Technique on Performance
While physiological metrics such as VO2 max are crucial for endurance sports performance, biomechanics and technique also play decisive roles.
Efficiency Differentiates Swimming: Christian and Gustav Show Higher Oxygen Costs Than Elite Swimmers, Despite High Vo2 Max
Christian and Gustav, although possessing higher VO2 max measurements than elite swimmers, exhibit poorer efficiency in the water. Bu highlights that this is due to the balancing act required in triathlon training, which prevents them from focusing exclusively on swimming mechanics and technique. Despite their rigorous training, Christian uses 25% more oxygen t ...
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Counterarguments
- While VO2 max is an important indicator of endurance capacity, it is not the sole determinant of performance; other factors such as mental toughness, nutrition, and recovery strategies also play significant roles.
- The assertion that high VO2 max values may not always confer advantages could be nuanced by considering that, while a higher VO2 max is generally beneficial, it must be effectively utilized through proper pacing and energy management during competition.
- The idea that weight gain can increase watts per kilogram for endurance athletes might be oversimplified, as weight gain could also lead to increased energy costs and potentially slower times, especially in weight-bearing activities like running.
- The emphasis on biomechanics and technique, while crucial, might overshadow the importance of other aspects such as race strategy, environmental conditions, and equipment used in performance outcomes.
- The claim that minimizing drag is essential in swimming, even at low speeds, could be counterargued by emphasizing the importance of maximizing propulsion to a similar degree, as both factors are integral to swimming performance.
- The suggestion tha ...
Actionables
- You can track your workouts with a smartwatch to monitor your VO2 max and adjust your training intensity. By using a smartwatch with built-in VO2 max estimation, you can get a sense of how your endurance is improving over time. For example, after a month of consistent training, compare your VO2 max readings to see if your regimen is enhancing your aerobic capacity.
- Experiment with resistance training to improve your biomechanics and power output. Incorporate exercises like squats, deadlifts, and plyometrics twice a week to build strength that can translate into better performance. Keep a journal to note any changes in how you feel during endurance activities, such as increased stability or power.
- Optimize your swimming technique by using v ...
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Nutrition and Fueling Strategies For Endurance Athletes
Experts in sports nutrition and physiology, such as Peter Attia and Olav Aleksander Bu, delve into the intricacies of fueling endurance athletes, emphasizing the significance of high carbohydrate intake, exploring energy substrates like ketones and lactate, and advocating for personalized nutrition strategies.
Pushing the Boundaries of Carbohydrate Intake and Absorption
Endurance athletes Christian and Gustav have elevated the standard for carbohydrate consumption during competition, surpassing traditional benchmarks and tolerating an astonishing 240 grams of carbohydrates per hour.
Christian and Gustav Consume 240G of Carbohydrates per Hour With Hydrogel Fuels
Christian and Gustav use a hydrogel-based gel that is quantified with isotope tracers, ensuring the carbohydrates are utilized and not merely accumulated in the stomach. These hydrogel fuels enable the athletes to consume and effectively use in excess of 240 grams per hour of carbohydrates—a feat made possible through careful training and the strategic choice of hydrogels as a delivery system.
Training to Tolerate High Carbohydrate Levels
The training of endurance athletes like Christian and Gustav often includes conditioning their bodies to tolerate extraordinarily high levels of carbohydrate intake. Attia points out that athletes routinely consume 160 grams of carbohydrate per hour and that there are rumors of some reaching up to 200 grams per hour through specifically tailored training protocols.
The adaptability of the body in response to these new training and nutrition methods suggests that athletes may surpass formerly accepted limits of carbohydrate absorption. This suggests not just a physiological adaptability but also the importance of continuous training and innovation in fueling strategies.
Role of Substrates Like Ketones and Lactate
Discussion of ketones and lactate reveals complexities in using these substrates as alternative or supplemental fuel sources for endurance activities, which may hinge upon factors like gastrointestinal tolerance and the capability for efficient metabolic processing.
Challenges In Using Ketones as Competition Fuel Due to Blood Concentration Limits
Although the role of ketones as a competition fuel was not extensively discussed in the provided content, there is an implication that integrating substrates like beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) into competition fueling faces challenges. These include understanding the energetic considerations such as stoichiometry and enthalpy, as well as the Gibbs free energy that is available.
Potential to Utilize Lactate As an Energy Source
Lactate's role as an energy source was implied in discussions of lactate concentration in elite athletes. Research into creating lactate as an artificial fuel explores its efficiency and the capacity for oral delivery as a salt, which helps in buffering, similar to bicarbonate.
The conversation about lactate also touches upon the role of monocarboxylate transporters in muscle cells, which aids lactate transport out of cells. There’s a theory that some athletes may possess a higher density of these transporters, enabling improved lactate removal and efficiency.
Importance of Customized Nutrition Strategies and Monitoring
Customized fueling and hydration, accounting for individual preferences and biological responses, are pivotal for optimal athlete performance. Continuous monitoring and adjusting of nutrition plans highl ...
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Counterarguments
- High carbohydrate intake may not be suitable for all athletes, as individual metabolic responses can vary significantly.
- Some endurance athletes may perform better on a lower carbohydrate, higher fat diet, which can encourage the body to utilize fat as a primary fuel source.
- The long-term health effects of consuming extremely high levels of carbohydrates are not fully understood, and there may be potential negative consequences for some athletes.
- The use of ketones in competition could be advantageous if the challenges of blood concentration limits are addressed, and further research may find ways to mitigate these issues.
- While lactate may have potential as an energy source, its practical application and effectiveness in competition compared to other fuels have yet to be established.
- Personalized ...
Actionables
- You can experiment with your own carbohydrate intake during workouts by gradually increasing the amount and observing your body's response. Start by consuming slightly more carbs than usual before and during your exercise sessions, and note any changes in your endurance and overall performance. Keep a journal to track your intake, feelings of energy, and any gastrointestinal discomfort, which will help you find your optimal carb threshold.
- Try incorporating lactate-rich foods into your diet and monitor how it affects your energy levels. Foods like fermented vegetables and some dairy products naturally contain lactate. After consuming these foods, pay attention to how you feel during physical activities. This could be an informal way to explore lactate as an energy source without the need for complex research or supplementation.
- Develop a personalized hydration strategy by t ...
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