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[RC] VO2/LA4 - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: ti Tivers@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== How does one practically measure them (w/o drawing blood) in a training regime? jt. You don't have to "draw" blood for VLA4 because the portable lactate units are accurate up to that point. Just a drop of blood, as with a glucometer. VLA4 can also be detected by HR deflection point--HR response to speed in a warmed up horse is linear until VLA4 is reached. The VO2Max can be projected from Efficiency Score. This was demonstrated in a paper that appeared in a European journal called Pherd-something-or-other. I'll see if I can find it--several years ago. It was sent to me because one of my books or articles was cited since ES is my little invention. ES is taken at submaximal speeds at a set HR, measured in feet per heartbeat. High scores are in the neighborhood of 14 ft/hb, low scores around 6 ft/hb. The European paper extrapolated ES scores to equate with VO2Max. I use the ES because it's far safer than trying to get a VO2Max on a young horse. I'm not enamored of VLA4, either, because it can be dramatically affected by pre-ex diet. You have to standardize the diet befrore you can get accurate horse-to horse, or test to test, results. Meanwhile, Steady State (just under VLA4 at higher rates of speed) can be measured through HR creep, once the horse is properly warmed up and the spleen has contracted. this is useful for endurance horses because, during a long bout of strong, but not maximal work, you'll see the creep and know to drop back into the Steady State zone. The Steady State HR drops the farther you exercise. At higher speeds in race horses, you can get a Steady State reading reasonably quickly. The spleen has to be contracted for ES measurements as well. For most horses, that means either a quarter mile sprint or 2 1/2 miles of strong gallop. You can individualize splenic contraction for each horse by taking a series of pre-post-ex Hcts. That involves small samples of blood and a centrifuge onsite. I bought a used centrifuge for a client for $75 last month. Another extremely useful measurement that is easy and inexpensive to take is the glucose response curve for a given intake of grain, loader, or what have you. You don't want to start a flat race with a low or crashing blood glucose--the horse sleepwalks out of the gate. Nor do you want an endurance horse crashing in the middle of a race--very common occurrence, leading directly to the IV tent. A glucometer is cheap and requires a drop of blood. In Europe they already have a monitoring system that is incorporating real time blood glucose readings, as well as other parameters. They're thinking of adding lactic acid to those parameters, but I'm trying to discourage them from that. Not much point in an endurance race--only for SETs, and you can do that off-board with a portable lactate meter--way more expensive than a glucometer, though. Real time blood sugar and HRs are the key working numbers, as far as I'm concerned. Body weight is the key workout-to-workout number. It tracks with the work/recovery/rebound/supercompensation cycle of the individual horse. But it has to be taken accurately. Once a week bloods are also useful if you've got the money to spend. Desert races are the easiest, scientifically, to prepare for--how far, how fast, at what sustainable HR and glucose--keep your Respiratory Exchange Rate as high as possible throughout--or you bonk. Technical terrain, like Tevis, is a whole 'nother ball game--except that you can make up a lot of ground on the flats and gentle climbs. Lighter horses do better there while larger horses do better on the desert. Turns out, something very similar to Ridgeway's CRC (I think that's what it's called) is being used with bicycle racers as a fitness monitoring method. I've not used those with horses because artifacts can creep in (lameness, emotion, body temp variations, substrate availability and type, crashing glucose, etc.). Some things to think about as I wait for the Yamamomma DX7 to show up. I can play a guitar synth through its MIDI interface and get fiddles, cellos, flutes, harmonicas, drums--you name it. Fun, fun, fun! ti =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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