Spatts &/or Interval advocates

[Bullit]

I started Intervals... what a bitch!!!! Almost blacked out (my aerobic capacity sucks).

Used to ride the bike for 30 min, but my new interval program is taking 11 min.

Anyway.. will intervals increase my longer-term aerobic capacity as well? Like, for instance, for hour long mountain bike rides?

 

[spatts]

I can't tell you what it will do to you, but yes it helped me. Seems like sprinters are able to cross over to distance ok, but not the other way around. I did intervals in practice as a sprinter, and on my own now, but I've always been able to do charity 5K and 10K races as well.

 

[SeymourCuts]

As long as you're pacing yourself, yes, your improved V02 max from the shorter intervals will carry over performance improvement during longer endurance as well. Some marathon runners are supposed to be cross-traing with short intervals for that very reason.

 

[casualbb]

Yes, sprinting crosses over quite well to longer running.

What spatts has noticed is correct. Why?

Well, there are two measures of aerobic capacity:
1) V02 max -- this is your body's ability to utilize oxygen per unit bodyweight. Obviously important; this determines how quickly one fatigues.

2) Critical Power -- this is a little weirder. It represents the highest level of activity that the body can maintain forever (in theory.)

Back to cardio. Long-duration, low-intensity work such as cross-country running increases only V02 max. Interval sprints increase both.

Here's a real good article on aerobic capacity, and why you should do interval training.

http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/training/madmax.htm'

-casualbb

 

[Bullit]

Thanks for the info