12/8/2017 Alan Couzens: The Principle of Individuality:

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Monday, August 25, 2008 About Me

Alan Couzens
The Principle of Individuality:
Who am I? Coach/Athlete, but you know that
already. For the important stuff, I think the
legendary Professor Tim Noakes
Performance and Malleability of the System or….
(unknowingly) describes me far better than I
ever could, when (talking about himself) he
Making the most of what you’ve got! says: "I have come to accept that, in common
with a good number of runners, I share the
emotional and personality traits that William
“All animals are equal but some are more equal than others” Sheldon (1945) ascribed to those whom he
- The Pigs (Animal Farm) called ectomorphs and whose body resembles
those of distance runners... a love of privacy,
an overwhelming desire for solitude, an
This post is part of a series on the practical application of training principles (see sidebar, 'the
inability to relax and talk in company, an
core principles') overconcern with physical health; typical
patterns of mental behavior that include
Those of you keeping up with the Olympics will, no doubt, be aware of the dominance of the daydreaming, absentmindedness,
Chinese, particularly in the Gymnastics events. Whatever your political views, one cannot argue procrastination and an inability to make
with the results that come from a state sponsored athletics program. While China’s dominance decisions... The ectomorph's eternal quest is
can, in part, also be attributed to their immense population, one need only look at the success of to understand the riddles of life." If you ask the
people closest to me, they'll tell you that sums
countries in the former Eastern Bloc, such as Romania (the home country of the gymnast
it up pretty well. Additional info can be found in
pictured above – Ecaterina Szabo) for a striking example of what can occur when a country
the tomes of Stoic philosophy or the lyrics to
makes a concerted effort to ‘make the most of what it’s got’. It is ironic that the socialist states Weezer's song "Pork and Beans" ;-)
have exemplified the art of embracing (and exploiting) individual differences, while, in the name of
View my complete profile
equality, the Western world is reluctant to admit that we are all different. We all have different
strengths and weaknesses that suit us better to some tasks than others. This is the crux of talent
identification programs and, in a larger sense, the principle of individuality. The Core Principles

Patience (Progressive Overload)

This post is not going to have the same limiting tone that most blogs that look at genetic
Consistency (Reversibility)
determinism in sports portray. The “if you don’t like your performance, then blame your parents”
tagline just isn’t as applicable to ultra-distance athletics as it is to some sporting events (as you Variety
will see!). However, there are certain physiological peculiarities that leave some individuals better Individuality
suited to some sports than others. At the extreme example, there are some functional pre-
requisites that must be met if an individual is to be World Class in any sport. Many of these are Calculators/Tools
very trainable. Some are not. The intelligent athlete will ultimately select the sports and events

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12/8/2017 Alan Couzens: The Principle of Individuality:
that give him/her a ‘fighting chance’. Submax FTP Calculator
FTP/ Fatigue Curve Calculator
So, what are the physiological pre-requisites to Run Power Calculator
becoming a World Class Endurance Athlete?

1. The Engine. Recommended Reading

Annual Planning I
Absolute VO2max:
Annual Planning II
Heavy weight Rowers: 5.9L/min-6.9L/min
The 'Balanced Ironman' I
(Hagerman, 2000)
Olympic Swimmer: 4.1-5.3L/min (Klentreau and
Motpetit, 1991) Labels
Pro Cycling: 4.6-6.4 L/min (Padilla et al. 1999,
aerodynamics (1)
Coyle et al. 1991)
World Class Marathon: 4.5-5.3L/min altitude (1)
(unpublished OTC data) anthropometry (4)
World Cup Triathlete: 4.8-5.5L/min (Bunc et al. athlete data (15)
1996, Pickard, 1995) bike fit (1)
Elite Ironman: 4.1-4.8 L/min (Sleivert and biomechanics (2)
Rowlands, 1996) blood lactates (4)
endurance corner (2)
ergogenic aids (1)
According to studies by Bouchard (1988), a
exercise physiology (24)
reasonable expectation for VO2max
improvement with appropriate training is ~15% (range 3-33% improvement, partially in fat oxidation (11)
accordance with training status). Therefore, if you’re a male athlete with an untrained VO2max in genetics (3)
the ball park of 3.8 L/min, you’re in the Ironman game. To be frank, based on the testing that we long term planning (6)
have performed, this isn’t all that rare or special. mentors (9)
morphology (3)
For those of you who are yet to get into the lab, for the relatively untrained athlete, 3.8L min nutrition (3)
corresponds with a starting functional threshold power of ~200W. Good but certainly not
overtraining/endocrinology (2)
exceptional.
pacing (2)
performance psychology (10)
Within the first year of aerobic training, the average athlete can expect this value to increase his
VO2max ~15%-20% to with appropriate aerobic training mixed with higher intensity intervals periodization (17)
(Bouchard, 1990; Klissouris, 1971). This equates to 4.0-4.2L/min or an FT of ~240W philosophy (11)
race strategy (2)
2. The Chassis: running (2)
swimming (2)
Rower: 183-200cm, 79-97kg 8.2-9.6% (AIS Data) testing (12)
Olympic Swimmer: 174-199cm, 66-99kg, 7.9-12.0% Bodyfat (AIS Data)
training camps (2)
Pro Cyclist: 171-196cm, 65-84kg, 5.9-8.7% Bodyfat (Padilla et al 1999, AIS Data)
training models (7)
World Class Marathon: 167-183cm 54-73kg, 4.6%-7.0% Bodyfat (AIS Data)
training principles (5)
World Cup Triathlete: 176-181cm, 69-73kg, 6.8-7.6% Bodyfat (O’Toole et al, 1995)
Elite Ironman: 176-180cm, 69-74kg 7.3-11.0% Bodyfat (O’Toole et al, 1995) training theory (37)
TSS (4)
For a relatively untrained individual, it is generally considered reasonable to be able to gain 5-9%
Lean Muscle Mass (LMM) within 12-18mths of consistent strength training (Gettman et al. 1979,
My Blog List
Misner et al. 1974). This equates to ~0.1-0.3kg/wk. So, your chances of achieving the proper
morphotype for your chosen pursuit are substantially greater if your starting LMM is within ~6- Paul Chek's Blog
10kg of your sports optimal weight. A Deep Interview with Aubrey Marcus
from Onnit
11 hours ago
On the flip-side, while potential for fat loss changes with somatotype, even endomorphs have the
potential to become relatively lean. This is both the area of greatest upside for most of us and the Zen Habits
area that many of us have the most work to do. In this case, reasonable long term fat loss of 0.08 Designing a Well-Lived Life
1 day ago
to 0.25%/wk can be expected (4-10% body fat reduction per year in accordance with starting
value and somatotype). With the set-point theory in mind, a sporting event within 5-10% of your The Science of Sport
‘normal’ body-fat is suggested. In other words, if your current body fat is 20%, aspiring to be the Head injuries in Rugby Part 3: The key
next Olympic Marathon champ may not be ideal. Aspiring to be an elite Ironman on the other evidence and law change advice
4 months ago
hand….
sportsci.blog
There are a number of other anthropometric variables that are specific ideals for various sports Thank you...
listed below: 4 years ago

The Association Of Rowing

Swimming (Macpherson, 1976): Coaches, South Africa
- Large biacromial diameter (>45cm) Is a coach a scientist??
- ‘Tall’ sitting height (>0.5x standing height) 5 years ago

- Standing Arms Span > Standing Height Joe Friel's Blog

- Large Feet (>0.16x standing height) Physiological Fitness - Economy
7 years ago
Cycling (Coyle, 1991):
Justin Daerr Elite Triathlete
- Upper thigh circumference >55cm
- Mid-thigh circumference >52cm Chuckie V
- Calf circumference >36cm
CrossFit Affiliates-Forging Elite
Community

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12/8/2017 Alan Couzens: The Principle of Individuality:
Plugging your absolute VO2 #’s into your new streamlined chassis will give respective relative Charles Poliquin
VO2max values in the ranges of:

Rower: 66-71ml/kg/min (Hagerman, 2000)

Olympic Swimmer: 54-62 ml/kg/min (Klentreau and Montpetit, 1991)
Pro Cyclist: 70-84 ml/kg/min (Padilla et al, 1999)
World Class Marathon: 72-79 ml/kg/min (unpublished OTC data)
World Cup Triathlon: 68-79 ml/kg/min (Sleivert and Rowlands, 1999,
O’Toole et al. 1996)
Long Course Triathlon: 59-65 ml/kg/min (Sleivert and Rowlands, 1999
O’Toole, 1996)

While relative VO2max is of limited significance to a weight supported activity such as rowing, or
even flat road cycling/TTing, as a triathlete, it is important that the athlete strives for both the
maximal absolute oxygen uptake (to optimize bike performance) and the highest possible relative
number (for hills and run performance). Again, long course relative values are within the reach of
most folks, esp when the impact of body composition is taken into account.

3. The Drive-Train
OBLA/LT: Now we start to get to the important stuff: The oxidative potential of the athlete’s
muscle fibers. Or in other words, the ability of the athlete to pull Oxygen from the circulating blood
and convert it to energy. According to the research, this adaptation is much more malleable over
the long term. While it may be, to some extent, limited by ST fiber composition, in general, the
studies back up the old adage that “miles make champions”. For example, Coyle (1988, 1991)
found that athletes with 5-10 years of endurance training had significantly higher LT’s (as a % of
VO2max) than athletes with a younger ‘training age’: 66% of VO2max for athletes with a mean of
2 years endurance training, 75% for athletes with a mean of 5 years of endurance training and
79% for athletes with a mean training age of 9 years.

For our hypothetical aspiring champion, coming into his second year of training with an FT of
240W, if he falls in line with the mean rate of improvement from Coyle’s studies, his FT values
would progress as follows:

Year 1: 240W
Year 3: 265W
Year 5: 285W
Year 7: 293W
Year 9: 300W

4. The Wheels:
Mechanical Efficiency:

However, in addition to the improved physiological efficiency, there are also long term
improvements in biomechanical efficiency taking place that can need to be factored into the
equation. Improvements of ~4-6 Watts per liter of O2 consumed have been witnessed for cycling
(Coyle, 1988,1991). For the Ironman athlete, this can mean a difference of 15-20 Watts for the
same energy expenditure. Similarly, elite runners typically exhibit much higher efficiency, than
novice runners, and to a lesser extent, triathletes. In fact, with years of running training, athletes
can expect to run 5-7% faster for the same energy expenditure by sheer virtue of improved
biomechanical efficiency: 15-20s/mile at typical race paces!! (Margaria et al. 1963). Again,
providing you have a ticket to the dance (in the case of Ironman, they’re pretty easy to come by)
….. miles make champions.

In a cycling sense, for our “champ in the making”, this brings the progression more in line with the
following:
Year 1: 240W
Year 3: 270W
Year 5: 293W
Year 7: 307W
Year 9: 320W

5. The 'Back-Up' Battery

Substrate Efficiency: Finally, we come to the big one. While not directly related to LT or FT, it is
the prime determinant of your ability to use your aerobic efficiency over long course racing
duration.

For example, 2 athletes with a Functional Threshold Power of ~320W, one burns 5kcal/min of fat.
The other burns 2kcal/min from fat. The extra 3kcal/min of Carbohydrate that the athlete must
use to supplement for their poor fat burning results in athlete A (Mr inefficiency) racing an
Ironman at 68% of his functional threshold power (218W), while athlete B is able to race at 80%
of his functional threshold power (256W). In terms of “bang for your buck”, this 40 watts is a
whole lot easier to come by than the 5 years that it takes to achieve a similar improvement from
aerobic training. While all successful Ironman athletes require relatively high aerobic numbers
(LT/FTP), not all athletes with high aerobic numbers will be successful Ironman athletes.
Substrate oxidation plays a large part in explaining this.

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The good news is that, all in all, substrate oxidation is very malleable, esp with diet.
Ravussin et al (1985) observed a change in subjects resting RQ by .05 within a 16 week period
by manipulating protein/CHO content of the subjects’ diets. This represents a change in fat
oxidation of ~17%. The extent to which this carries over to exercise performance is largely a
function of the subjects’ aerobic fitness (Goedecke et al. 2000). Again, aerobic fitness is a
necessary ingredient to achieving your potential as a long course athlete, however, alone, it is not
enough.
***************

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the principle of individuality is that, while we are all born
with different handicaps and advantages within the athletic arena, we are also born with widely
varying ‘trainability’. Even the most genetically deterministic sports science researchers such as
Claude Bouchard are ultimately forced to conclude that attempting to predict the extent that an
athlete will adapt to training is futile. Some athletes will improve VO2max by 1.0L or more with 20
weeks of aerobic training, while others will struggle to improve by 0.1L. This can only be partly
attributed to the athlete’s starting level. In real world terms, while I have provided an example of
the average rate of progression observed in a number of studies as a 9 year process, the reality
is, that, while the majority of us will fall under the ‘meat of the curve’, based on the genetic studies
to date, some folks can expect to go from untrained to World Class in 3 years, while at the rate
that others are progressing (with equal training load) they will simply run out of time. While there
may be some clues that we can use (and heed) along the way, when it comes down to it, there is
only one way to completely answer the question “How good can I be” – Get out there!

Posted by Alan Couzens at 9:01 AM

Labels: exercise physiology, training principles, training theory

6 comments:
Chuckie V said...
Alan, this is precisely why I keep coming back!

But let us not for get the brain that runs the engine, holds the chassis together, fires the drive-
train, turns the wheels and determines our fuel efficiency: our belief, our motivation, our heart
(so to speak).

In science it's equally important to remember that heart-rate monitors cannot measure heart
and power meters cannot measure will power. Your last line sums it up perfectly!
August 25, 2008 at 10:56 AM

Alan Couzens said...

Thanks CV.

I hope that the post comes across as a reflection of all of the things that we can influence as
IM athletes.

With all of the latitude that we have to work with in Ironman athletics, in the end, when
assessing just how 'malleable' we are as Ironman athletes one must conclude that we are
about as malleable as play-dough!! Limited only by the imagination and the commitment to
long-term focused crafting by the artist at hand.

Best,

AC
August 25, 2008 at 11:15 AM

Jaakko Hiekkaranta said...

Yeha baby!

So with SMARTHARD work I definitely have a chance to get there!

August 25, 2008 at 8:01 PM

Alan Couzens said...

Jaakko,

If you've got 2 arms, 2 legs and a pulse you're in the game.

AC
August 26, 2008 at 6:55 AM

Jaakko Hiekkaranta said...

last time I checked, those were in place :)

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August 28, 2008 at 5:56 AM

BRFOOT said...
I think the only thing missing is the disclaimer that it never gets easier but you will get faster.
August 31, 2008 at 12:31 AM

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