#41 - Zone 2 training: why all the talk? With Dr Andrew Coggan

Dr Glenn McConell chats for a second time with Associate Professor Andrew Coggan from Indiana University, Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI), USA. Andy was an elite time trial cyclist who has a very impressive research track record. He also wrote the first book on training and racing using power (training levels). As was the case last week with Michael Joyner, Andy makes the case that different types of training can result in similar results (and there’s nothing special about zone 2). “Nothing magic about training at a particular intensity”. Andy was the first guest on Inside exercise in June 2022 talking about Nitrate and exercise.

0:00. Introduction and Andy’s cycling and research background
5:07. Andy’s cycling TTs and power based training
7:56. Andy’s early aerodynamic bike and aero positioning
10:56. His decision to develop cycling power levels
15:50. Wrote the first book on training and racing with power
17:00. Muscular metabolic fitness/lactate threshold
21:10. Onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA)
22:47. Little use having a one off lactate threshold test
23:55. Best predictor of performance is performance itself
24:25. Critical power / W’. Exercise intensity duration relationship
28:15. Zone based system around critical power
29:20. Training levels based on functional threshold power (FTP)
31:27. What is Zone 2? /long slow distance etc.
35:30. Lactate thresholds (LT1 and LT2)/continuum
37:55. Lactate threshold vs ventilation threshold
38:52. Don’t need to burn fat during ex to optimize fat use adaptations
41:07. Exercise intensity and fat use
43:45. What’s the best training program?
44:29. Same increases in ability to burn fat with HIIT
45:16. Lactate doesn’t inhibit fat use during exercise
51:40. Andy questions some interpretations of San Millan
53:10. Cardiovascular drift /aerobic decoupling
58:20. What to do if your performance plateaus
59:40. Exercise training programs: All roads lead to Rome
1:02:19. Specificity, overload, reversibility and different sports
1:04:34. Exercise training zones and intensity/duration
1:08:00. Physiological responses occur on a continuum
1:08:55. Quasi metabolic steady state
1:12:35. Wahoo 4 dimension power: “FTP is dead”
1:14:18. Takeaway messages/ the need for Inside exercise
1:17:32. Do people do zone 2 partly because it’s easy?
1:21:12. VO2 max does not change over a season
1:21:58. Demands of the event/characteristics of the athlete
1:23:57. Exercising and health (effects on the heart)
1:27:56. Outro (9 secs)
Inside Exercise brings to you the who's who of research in exercise metabolism, exercise physiology and exercise’s effects on health. With scientific rigor, these researchers discuss popular exercise topics while providing practical strategies for all.
The interviewer, Emeritus Professor Glenn McConell, has an international research profile following 30 years of Exercise Metabolism research experience while at The University of Melbourne, Ball State University, Monash University, the University of Copenhagen and Victoria University.
He has published over 120 peer reviewed journal articles and recently edited an Exercise Metabolism eBook written by world experts on 17 different topics (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-94305-9).
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Not medical advice