DENZAS

Dear Folks,

Let’s continue our previous discussion on whether it is reasonable to conduct two training sessions in one day.

To briefly recap our last post, we discussed the idea that it is not reasonable to perform two workouts in a day with Z1-Z4 intensity effort. The reason being that in these zones, you perform smooth workouts, maintaining a steady state of power output. Consequently, you can’t fully deplete glycogen in muscles and glucose in the liver during the efficient time of the training session. Therefore, the myofibrils in the bundle of fibrous tissue survive well and do not require supercompensation.

Okay, here we go!

These Z5-Z7 effort zones are akin to the Boss in the peloton.

You can’t win a race while remaining in zones Z1-Z4!!

These zones, Z5 and up correspond to the anaerobic cluster, meaning anaerobic cell respiration. Although anaerobic energy sourcing is considered inefficient, the power output is substantial. Anaerobic metabolism relies solely on glucose as its source of fuel, and price you pay is lactic acid.

Finally, we have reached the most interesting point. While engaging in Z5 effort, it could be 40 seconds in all-out mode or up to two minutes at approximately 95-100% of maximum effort for example. In this mode, you typically perform about 6 – 10 reps. Naturally, your performance gradually decreases from rep to rep. The rule of thumb suggests that if your performance on the last rep falls within a 10% range of your best rep, you can proceed to the next rep. However, let’s be realistic; it’s impossible to execute all reps at maximum intensity with impeccable quality. In this intense mode, you will deplete your glycogen and glucose rapidly, resulting in a subsequent decline in power output from rep to rep. In my humble opinion, continuing to perform reps in this state doesn’t make sense.

Let’s consider two scenarios as an example. There are two athletes, both of whom are training to enhance their VO2max, performing 10 reps of 40 seconds in all-out mode with 10 minutes of full recovery.

One athlete, named X, completes all 10 reps in a single training session, while another athlete, named Y, splits the workload into 5 reps in the morning and 5 reps in the evening.

Let’s suppose both of them are the same weight, have the same anthropometric parameters, and are equally strong with the same level of fitness.

Athlete X achieved the following power numbers:

1st rep – 760 Watt,

2nd rep – 843 Watt,

3rd rep – 837 Watt,

4th rep – 813 Watt,

5th rep – 771 Watt,

6th rep – 730 Watt,

7th rep – 798 Watt,

8th rep – 720 Watt,

9th rep terminated at 30 seconds,

10th rep refused.

The second athlete, named Y, achieved the following numbers:

In the morning:

1st rep – 780 Watt,

2nd rep – 851 Watt,

3rd rep – 842 Watt,

4th rep – 819 Watt,

5th rep – 789 Watt;

In the evening:

1st rep – 771 Watt,

2nd rep – 829 Watt,

3rd rep – 847 Watt,

4th rep – 829 Watt,

5th rep – 749 Watt;

So, what can we learn from these numbers?

The disparity between the best and worst repetitions for athlete X is approximately 123 Watts or 15%. According to the rule of thumb, the difference between the best and worst reps should ideally be within a 10% range.

Athlete X experienced the first signs of fatigue on the 5th rep, indicating that the glycogen in his muscles was almost depleted. The 6th rep served as a technical rest, while the 7th rep relied on glucose from the liver. He experienced acute pain in his right abdominal side during this period. His 8th rep resulted in a collapse, after which he refused to continue.

In the end, athlete X managed to complete only three quality reps (2nd, 3rd, and 4th). He was deeply depleted in glycogen, overwhelmed with lactic acid, and requires at least 72 hours of recovery. Over the next two days, he experienced mild muscle pain (DOMS).

Let’s examine the performance of athlete Y.

The disparity between the best and worst repetitions for athlete Y in the morning was 71 Watts or 8%, and in the evening, it was approximately 98 Watts or 12%. Compared to athlete X, athlete Y managed to complete 6 quality reps as opposed to 3.

Athlete Y performed all his reps exclusively in the morning and evening, primarily relying on glycogen in muscles, with a high probability of not tapping into the glucose stored in the liver. As a result, athlete Y experienced acute muscle pain (DOMS) in the subsequent days, making movement challenging.

In this instance, experiencing muscle pain such as DOMS is desirable.

Why?

The pain we feel after intense training is attributed to the microtears in the myofibrils. Myofibrils are the structural components of muscle cells responsible for muscle contraction. These tears occur during strenuous physical activity, particularly in strength training, when the load exceeds the myofibrils’ capacity to withstand stress.

The rupture of myofibrils initiates the process of their regeneration. This intricate process commences with inflammation, which triggers an increased blood flow to the damaged tissue. Subsequently, aided by proteins and hormones such as insulin and growth hormone, the process of repairing and building new myofibrils ensues.

An intriguing and crucial aspect emerges here – the newly regenerated myofibrils exhibit enhanced stress resistance, strength, and resilience to glycolysis.

Therefore, given proper recovery and nutrient intake, the human body triggers supercompensation. Consequently, in subsequent similar training sessions, increasing intensity and weight, or simply elevating the power output, is necessary to induce DOMS.

It is essential to grasp that this process is a natural facet of the body’s structural adaptation and strength-building mechanism.

Well, we have reached the end of this topic, so let’s summarize.

The benefits of splitting the training into zone Z5 and above into morning and evening sessions are as follows:

1) The training sessions are more efficient compared to doing them in a single session, as evidenced by the power output measures.

2) There are fewer consequences for the organism in terms of glucose deficit and the buildup of lactic acid.

3) The process of regeneration of damaged myofibrils induces a response of super-compensation.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions!