For dietary related questions, please see the dietary faq
Q: What does the word Volta mean ?
A: Those who read Italian will recognize this as the Italian word for again. This emphasizes the VRS principle of repeated and systematic abilities development.
In addition, in literature, the word Volta is associated with the change in tone between the 8th and 9th line of a Petrarchian Sonnet. In the Volta, a marked or radical change takes place. This is meant to represent the change inherent between the older European School training programs and the integration of new evidence based training. VRS aims to create a perfect blend between Euro Tradition and Evidence Based Training.
Q: What is Lactate Threshold Heart Rate ?
A: Lactate Threshold Heart Rate is individual for each athlete, and remains the best method to determine workout intensity. To understand LTHR, it is necessary to understand some elementary biochemistry.
At intensity levels below the LTHR, the body is using mainly aerobic metabolism. The body will metabolize glucose using oxygen to form Energy, Carbon Dioxide and Water. This is a highly efficient form of metabolism, and around 32 units of energy are provided by each unit of glucose.
As the workload increases, the body may be unable to deliver enough oxygen to the muscles to allow adequate aerobic metabolism. At this point the body will metabolize Glucose to Energy in the absence of oxygen, using Anaerobic Metabolism. This produces approximately 2 units of energy for each unit of glucose. As a by-product the body produces lactate which may, in and acidic environment, become lactic acid.
At
low levels of exercise the body will be able to metabolize lactate,
and the level of lactate in the blood remains at a constant low
level. However, as exertion increases, the body is unable to
metabolize lactate at the speed it is being produced and lactate will
accumulate in the system.
The point at which the body is no longer able to clear lactate at the speed of production is known as the Lactate Threshold. This level of exertion can be quantified by Relative Perceived Index (RPE), Heart Rate (LTHR), or Power at lactate threshold.
Lactate threshold is an important training parameter. In general, the only way to compare athletes work intensity to other athletes is comparing the workload as a ratio of Lactate Threshold.
Unfortunately, determining lactate threshold requires some effort. It can not be determined by a simple formula using age. It cannot be calculated from Maximum heart rate. In general there are three methods commonly used to determine Lactate Threshold:
Graded Exercise Test Using Blood Lactate: Much to complex to be performed at home, this requires progressively increasing workload while measuring blood lactate. It is accurate, but expensive and invasive.
Graded Exercise Test Using Conconi Theory: Here a graded exercise test is used, but LTHR is calculated by graphing intensity vs heart-rate. An inflection in the graph may represent the LTHR.
Time Trial Average Heart Rate: In general, the average heart rate of a one-hour time trial done at race intensity is a good estimate of LTHR. LTHR can also be calculated for time trials of alternate distances.
All VRS athletes are encouraged to determine LTHR. LTHR testing can be included in the VRS custom program.
Q: I've had my LTHR tested at a local university. When I use this number as my LTHR. I find that the VRS workouts are very easy; I can easily ride for several hours above my LTHR. What should I do?
A: As more athletes have blood testing done to determine LTHR, the limitations of using the LTHR to base all training is becoming more evident. In particular, we are finding an increase in the number of athletes whose LTHR in the laboratory does not seem to correlate with what the cyclist is feeling on the road.
In particular, the most common scenario is that the laboratory LTHR seems too low. Cyclists in this situation often seem to spend several hours above LTHR without difficulty, and may be riding at or above LTHR without subjective feelings of working hard or breathing hard. These athletes tend to feel that the VRS workouts are much too easy.
In the ideal world, the athletes laboratory LTHR, Ventilatory Threshold, and Average HR for 60min TT would all be the same. Often however, they are not. Potential reasons for this may include...
The athlete has unusually good/poor lactate tolerance. Thus the athlete can ride longer/less long at LTHR
Laboratory testing was incorrect. In particular if the resistance of the ergometer is increased too rapidly, the athletes HR will not have a change to equilibrate to the exertion level. This may give a falsly low LTHR.
The cuttoff lactate level at which LTHR is identified is somewhat arbitrary.
Anxiety level prior to / during the test is high. This may lead to falsely elevated HR at all levels and thus a falsely high LTHR
This situation is not easy to reconcile, as it is VRS philosophy to guide riding by science whenever possible. Certainly, having laboratory evidence of LTHR is valuable.
For the athletes whose laboratory LTHR and on bike experience do not match, I suggest that HR zones are determined by Critical Heart Rate 60 (CHR60), rather than laboratory LTHR. That is, the Critical HR for the 60 min TT (avg hr over the TT) will continue to mark the boundry between Zone IV and Zone V. All other zones will be calculated from this value. The reason for this is purely practical. Since most athletes will not have access to laboratory LTHR, the VRS workout zones are determined by TT for most riders. Thus, most riders will find the workouts to be adequately challenging if CHR60 is used in calculating the HR Zones.
Of course, VRS athletes will have their HR Zones Calculate for them, and should not have to concern themselves with these details.
Q: Rollers or Windtrainer ?
A: This question has no easy answer. In general, I think most riders should have both.
In theory, rollers are much more attractive. By forcing the rider to balance on a small area, rollers encourage smooth even pedal strokes. Riders who try to force the pedals, or who have sloppy technique soon find out the hardest part about rollers--the floor. Because rollers encourage smooth pedaling, rollers are ideal for early season mobility training. Mobility intervals done on the rollers encourage excellent technique: a cadence sensing cyclocomputer makes the workout fun--aim for the fastest possible cadence. Riders who can obtain 170 rpm or more on rollers are by definition smooth, and few riders can obtain the magical 200 rpm mark. Rollers with a magnetic resistance unit are useful, intervals of any type can then ber performed. In any case, lapses in concentration tend to be punished swiftly.
In contrast windtrainers do nothing to encourage smooth cadence, and in fact likely encourage uneven pedal strokes. However, for riders who do not have access to adequate hills or who must spend a large part of early season riding indoors, a windtrainer is much better able to simulate hill climbing. By using a high resistance and tall gear, riders can simulate low cadence climbing for strength development.
Q: What should I do if I need to miss a workout. Should I try to make it up or ignore it ?
A: This is always a tricky subject. The truth is that all athletes, professional and amateur will occasionally miss a workout.
If the workout was missed, or only partially completed due to fatigue or illness, the answer is simple: the workout should not be reattempted in the same week. The mere fact that the athlete was too tired to complete a workout means that the training plan must be modified. If the workout was a priority focus for the particular training week, then the workout be adjusted the following week.
If the workout was missed due to other commitments, then the workout may be completed if the athlete is able to fit the workout into the same training week. The VRS schedule is purposely flexible to deal with such life commitments. In general, if an athlete known in advance that non-cycling commitments will prevent completion of all the weekly workouts, the athlete should attempt to minimize the impact of the forced layoff. That is, key focus workouts should be maintained. This usually means attempting to complete when possible the short intense efforts. Endurance training will not be entirely lossed during short layoff.
Psychologically, it is important to recognize that forced layoffs are a fact of life, and will occur commonly. Often forced time away from the bike will make a rider stronger both physically and mentally.
Q: Do I need a power-meter or power-based windtrainer for the VRS program ?
A: The VRS program does not require its athletes to have any particular equipment. Rather, VRS tailors a program to the athletes requirements and resources. In general, most VRS programs monitor training intensity by Heart Rate, as most athletes have access to heart rate monitors. However, programs can be designed for athletes who do not have an HRM or alternatively would prefer to monitor intensity via a power measuring device.
Q: How much does the program cost ?
A: This is a difficult question, as program cost is related to the athletes needs, more intense programs being more costly. In general, introductory programs are reasonably priced: Initial set-up fees costing approximately the same as two sets of high performance racing tires, and ongoing fees amounting to near the cost of one box of Energy-Bars per month. Keep in mind, athletes should expect an improvement far greater than any improvement brought on by equipment upgrades, which tend to be far more costly.
Q: I have an irregular work schedule (shift work), can I still have a program made for me ?
A: The VRS program is absolutely applicable to irregular schedules. Rather than being an obstacle, the VRS training plan can demonstrate how to make your irregular schedule an advantage.
Q: Why does the VRS software work under StarOffice ?
A: In order for VRS software to be accessible to any athlete, a cross platform software system was needed. StarOffice is available for a variety of platforms, is free for personal use, and IMHO is far superior to any other commercial office software for any platform.
Note that recently Sun Microsystems has split StarOffice into two streams:
StarOffice: Licenced for comercial and personal use. No longer free, but available at a low cost of Under $100.00 US. Current version is 6.0.
OpenOffice.org: Available free for personal and commercial use, distributed under the GPL licence and Sun's own licence. It contains nearly all the features of StarOffice, except those which are from outside the Sun domain and require paid licencing. OpenOffice.org is the currently recommended software for the VRS program.
Q: What about unscheduled races? How do they fit into the program ?
A: Races are generally divided into certain priorities, A, B, and C. The VRS schedule is usually constructed as follows...
These races are the focus of the riders schedule. A distinct peak and taper will be built into the program centered around these races. Generally racers should chose a maximum of three peaks per year. Usually, two peaks is preferred. Each peak may span several weeks and encompass several races, usually no more than 3-4 weeks maximum. It is expected that riders will be at there absolute best fitness for these races, even at the expense of other weeks of the season.
These races are built into the schedule, usually preceeded by a short rest period, but usually not a distinct peak or taper training. Riders should expect to do well in these races. However, since the training priority is the "A" races, riders should not let focus on "B" races detract from the overall season goals.
These races can serve as training sessions. Riders who follow the customized VRS schedule will expect to be in excellent form at all times. However, "C" races are not a focus of the VRS schedule. There is no specific rest or taper scheduled for these races. Riders will do best to consider these races as a form of training. These races can then replace one of the high intensity workouts scheduled for the week. It is permissable to take the day preceeding these races as a rest day, but "C" races should enhance, not detract from, the weeks training goals. If these "C" races do not fulfill a specific training goal, they should probably be avoided.
Q: What is "APAP" ?
A: APAP is medicalese for Aceteminophen (also known as tylenol).