Week 1

Question 1

Methods of predicting performance (6)?

Answer 1

1. Vo2 max (aerobic power, RATE energy produced) and aerobic capacity (TOTAL amount of energy produced)
2. Energy cost of running (efficiency) = running economy
3. Speed at anaerobic threshold
4. Anaerobic characteristics
5. Bioenergetic and nutrition factors
6. Psychology

Question 2

What influences vo2 max (4)?

Answer 2

• Transfer of O2 at lungs
• Blood and RBC carrying capacity
• Blood delivery capacity
• Tissue )2 extraction capacity (a-vo2 diff)

Question 3

Factors Limiting Performance (assuming muscle and neuromuscular control factors are more than able to use O2 and not limiting)???? (3)

Answer 3

1. Cardiovascular factors are the MAIN factors of vo2 max (70-75%)
2. Muscle factors (25-30%)
3. Lung related factors

Question 4

What limits Vo2 max performance depends on what….?

Answer 4

Sea level (normoxia) and large (or size) muscle groups
- Set by O2 transport, O2 carrying capacity

Small muscles, altitude (hypoxia)
- Ventilation and mitochondrial capacity assume a role

Question 5

Main limiting factors: Exercise with LARGE muscle groups + NORMOXIA

Answer 5

1. cardiovascular - major limiting VO2 (70-75%)
2. Muscle (25-30%), increase by 10% in muscle factors lead to an increase on vo2 max - 3%
3. NOT Lung - due to lung and alveolar capillary interference cannot be considered as limiting due to:
   
   • non linear gas/blood interface
   • normoxia, partial pressure of O2 in arterial blood in in flat part of O2 dissociation curve

Question 6

Limiting factors: During exercise with SMALL muscle groups in NORMOXIA

Answer 6

1. O2 transport
   
   • Reduced to about 50% of the down stream limitations
   • Down from 70-75% with large muscle
2. Peripheral resistance
   
   • Muscle factors
     
     • Role increases by the same amount as CV decreases
     • Up to 50% from 25-30% with large muscle
     • Perfusion and diffusion (Rt) and mitochondrial capacity (Rm) about equally responsible
3. Lung no impact

Question 7

Limiting factors: During exercise with LARGE muscle groups in HYPOXIA

Answer 7

1. Lung becomes more of a limiting factor in the usual sense of this term
   
   • the more so the deeper the hypoxia (the greater the altitude above sea level)
   • because of the lower PAO2 moves progressively towards the steeper part of the O2 dissociation curve (saturation of Hb with O2 declines)
2. The role of..
   
   • cardiovascular resistance is reduced
   • peripheral factors (perfusion, diffusion, mitochondrial capacity) is increased substantially

Question 8

Limiting factors: In athletes characterized by extremely large VO2 max and Qmax values, in NORMOXIA

Answer 8

Somewhat similar to that which is observed in mild hypoxia in less athletic subjects
- Pulmonary factors ARE limiting (they are NOT in normoxia of regular people)
- Large Qmax (max CO) means pulmonary capillary transit time is reduced —> small desaturation of arterial blood –> arterial points comes towards steeper part of O2 dissociation curve

Question 9

Other factors that can contribute to determination of and thus have potential to limit determination of vo2 max?

Answer 9

Genetics (40%) (unmodified):
- Base
- Trainability
- Maximum
- rate of improvement
- Gender

Training (modifying):
- Training 5-30% improvement
- very unfit
- big weight loss
- Cardiopulmonary
- Peripheral vascular
- Energy systems

Question 10

Factors limiting/determining strength, speed and power

Answer 10

Neuromuscular determinants:
- Muscle mass
- Muscle thickness
- Number of sarcomeres
- Fibre type
- Muscle architecture
- Tissue stiffness
- Neural drive
- Rate of torque development
- Bioenergetic nutrition factors
- ATP, CP
- essential AA
- hydration
- Co enzyme Q
- Vitamin D receptor