In
an effort to bring Racer X Online readers the best information available regarding
MX fitness, postings on this website are open to anyone with a specific and
proven expertise in the fitness field. I came across one such person, as I was
surfing the net one day for MX-related fitness articles. According to Steven
Bubel’s bio page, he has more degrees than a thermometer. That’s
nothing new, but what is new and refreshing is that Steve is good at getting
his thoughts from his head to the paper—a rare gift. His
training expertise is based not only on real-world experience but, more importantly,
on cutting-edge scientific research. Virtual Trainer
contacted Steve and he agreed to work on a few articles with us. Look for more
articles from Steve in the future, but until then be sure and check out his
website, mxconditioning.com.
Evolution of the Female Athlete
| Jessica Patterson (50) leads a growing group of serious motocross athletes who just happen to be women. | |
|
Over the last decade or so, you’ve
undoubtedly observed the evolution of the female athlete. Women’s motocross,
in particular, has seen a tremendous increase in athleticism, aggression, and
speed and this exponential jump in performance has resonated throughout the
entire sport. Participation, sponsorship and media coverage are at unprecedented
levels and the sport’s popularity is at an all-time high. Indeed, the
bonds of tradition have been broken and, with the likes of Sarah Whitmore, Jessica
Patterson, and Tarah Geiger leading the way, women continue to push the limits
and redefine motocross.
Not to be outdone by their male counterparts, female athletes have also acknowledged
the benefit of off-the-track supplemental training with on-the-track performance.
Unfortunately, myths, misconceptions, and a general misunderstanding still abound
and the bulk of most women’s programs still include a heavy dose of low-intensity
cardio and light weight, high-repetition weight training. The fear of leaving
their “fat-burning zone” and of getting “big and bulky”
has biased women against high-intensity cardio and lifting “heavy”
weights, respectively. This weight lifting myth is also perpetuated in the male
athlete. Sadly, as we shall see, these unfounded fears have precluded men and
women alike from achieving their full athletic potential.
Destroying the Dogma – The “Fat-Burning Zone”
| Sarah Whitmore is a standout at both Loretta Lynn’s and in the WMA. | |
|
Ask almost any trainer and they’ll
tell you that to burn the most amount of fat during exercise you need to perform
long-duration, moderate-intensity activities; somewhere between 45 and 60 minutes
at approximately 70% of your maximal heart rate (MHR)*. Indeed, research shows
that the highest rate of fat oxidation (i.e. “burning”) does occur
between approximately 70 and 80% of one’s MHR and that higher intensities
depend largely on carbohydrate for fuel. Furthermore, as the duration of the
exercise increases (>30 minutes) not only does the number of calories burned
increase, so too does the dependency upon fat as a fuel source. In light of
these observations, it’s easy to see how the infamous “fat-burning
zone” was born.
(*To determine your age-predicted
maximal heart rate (MHR) simply subtract your age from 220. A 25-year-old athlete
would have an estimated MHR of 195 beats per minute (bpm), for example.)
While
certainly not incorrect, prescribing exercise based upon this information is
a bit misleading. To do so assumes that the number of calories expended during
exercise and the source of those calories is vital to improving long-term body
composition. Current research, however, suggests that this may not be the case.
In comparing a 20-week “endurance” training protocol with a 15-week
high-intensity intermittent-training (HIIT) program (i.e. interval training),
one study found that, even though the endurance-trained group expended more
than twice as many calories (28,800 vs. 13,800) over the course of the
study, the HIIT group lost significantly more fat. Yes, you read that correctly.
Cycling uninterrupted for 30 to 40 minutes 4 or 5 times a week resulted in LESS
fat lost than performing 10 to 15 short (15-30 seconds), all-out sprints. At
first glance, this appears to contradict perhaps the most widely accepted principle
of exercise prescription yet, subsequent research has supported these original
findings. So the question is, how does brief, high-intensity exercise, which
burns predominantly carbohydrate for fuel, lead to greater long-term fat loss?
The answer lies in what happens after you stop exercising.
| Michigan’s Lindsey Scheltema surveys the Loretta Lynn’s start. | |
|
Quite
understandably, the earlier studies (upon which the “fat-burning zone”
is based) examined only the exercise period itself and failed to take into account
the number of calories expended in the
post-exercise period, which, depending
on the severity of the exercise bout, can be quite substantial. Returning the
body to its pre-exercise state (i.e. replenishment of energy stores, lactate
removal, regulation of body temperature, etc.) requires energy and, as you might
now guess, the substrate used to fuel these processes comes from pre-existing
fat stores.
Intense activities (>80% MHR) such as interval training
and weight lifting can result in higher-than-normal fat oxidation that lasts
long after exercise has ended. In fact, resistance training has been shown to
raise metabolism by 20% for up to 48 hours! Performed 3 or 4 times a week, this
“after burn” can add up to tens of thousands of calories over the
course of a year. Even if we conservatively estimate
the post-exercise expenditure to be in the neighborhood of 150 calories, exercising
in this fashion 3 days per week for one year would result in over 23,000 calories
expended
beyond those burned while exercising. That is the equivalent
of nearly 7lbs of fat! In contrast, it appears that the fat-burning benefits
of low-to-moderate-intensity activities (<70% MHR) cease almost as soon as
you stop working out. If you’re lucky, you might expend an additional
10-20 calories in the post-exercise period, which would add up to a whopping
3000 extra calories or so over the course of a year; less than that contained
in a single pound of fat. It is for this reason
that women who engage in low-to-moderate-intensity aerobic exercise without
performing resistance training (or making changes to their diet) typically experience
extremely slow fat loss. To make matters worse, unless you are extremely unfit,
this type of training will do
nothing to enhance your performance on
the track.
| Jacqueline Ross is a Honda support rider from Palm Bay, FL. | |
|
Motocross, as you are painfully
aware, demands the ability to tolerate extreme cardiovascular overload and lactic
acid accumulation with heart rates generally higher than 80% MHR. In one study,
researchers simulated a 10-minute moto and found heart rates to range from 155
to 174 beats per minute (bpm). For the average 25 year old, with an age-predicted
maximum heart rate of about 195 bpm, this represents 80-90% of their MHR. Taken
in actual competition, heart rates can climb to as high as 180-200 bpm (90-100%
MHR) and remain there for the duration of the race. To match or exceed this
effort, motocross training must be intense, achieving heart rates far beyond
the “fat-burning zone.” For women this is especially true since,
given slight differences in physiology (i.e. lower hemoglobin levels and blood
volume, smaller maximal stroke volume), they naturally possess a slightly diminished
ability to perform at such intensities. Fortunately, this gender gap narrows
with training.
Practical Application
Now that you are fully aware of
the benefits and necessity of high-intensity training (not only for performance
but body composition as well), it’s time to learn how to apply it in the
real world. The simplest solution is to convert your existing cardio workout
into an interval-training program. Interval training, for those not familiar,
is simply alternating periods of “maximal” effort (>80% MHR)
with periods of recovery and consists of six basic elements:
1. Number of repetitions [4-6]
2. Number of sets
[2-5]
3. Duration of work intervals [30-90
Seconds]
4. Intensity of work intervals [Maximum
Effort]
5. Duration of recovery periods
between intense work intervals and between sets [30 sec to 2 min.]
6. Intensity of recovery periods
[Easy]
| Star-in-the-making Ashley Fiolek. | |
|
The numbers in the brackets correspond to the
parameters most specific to motocross. As
you can imagine, the combinations of work and recovery are limitless and make
structuring a program beyond the scope of this article. Just remember, the idea
is to challenge the cardiovascular and muscular systems in a way that will be
demanded of them in competition. This can be done by running hills, changing
the speed and/or incline on a treadmill, mountain biking, taking a spinning
class, doing track work, etc. Does this mean that low-intensity, long-duration
activities are worthless? Not entirely. Low-to-moderate-intensity activities
have been shown to enhance recovery and are still the preferred method for most
trainers seeking to improve aerobic capacity (VO2max) in their athletes. This
is motocross, though, and not the Tour de France. Train hard.
In conclusion, women have certainly
made tremendous strides and they should be applauded for their efforts. But,
if they ever hope to compete head-to-head with the boys, or rise above their
female competition, their training programs need to evolve. Interval training
must become an integral part of those programs. In Part II we will look at an
even more powerful (and misapplied) weapon in the woman’s arsenal - strength
training.
Good
luck with your training and as always, VT can be reached anytime at crytset@comcast.net.
In addition, be sure and check out the Racer X archives
section, your complete one-stop information zone for motocross fitness. Archives
before November, 2005 can be found here.