#47 - Speed-duration relationship across the animal kingdom with Dr Mark Burnley
May 21, 2023
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Dr Mark Burnley, an expert on critical power and comparative exercise physiology, discusses the speed-duration relationship in animals. They cover topics such as measuring critical power and lactate threshold, pacing in endurance running, and the comparison of critical speeds across different animal species. They also explore the development of critical power in cycling, the efficiency of avian lungs, and the speed-duration relationship in fish fibers, bird flights, and human comparisons.
The podcast explores the speed duration relationships across the animal kingdom, highlighting the concept of critical power and critical speed.
The episode delves into the measurement techniques for determining critical speed and power in different animals and how it relates to their athletic capabilities.
Understanding critical power can optimize training zones and improve endurance and performance in various endurance activities.
Various animal species exhibit similar physiological responses to exercise above and below their critical speed or critical power.
Deep dives
Comparing speed duration relationships in different animals
This podcast episode discusses the speed duration relationships in various animals across the animal kingdom. The speaker highlights the concept of critical power and critical speed, which represents the power output or speed that an animal can sustain for a prolonged period of time. They compare and contrast different animals, including humans, mice, rats, crabs, horses, and even discuss some arctic animals like greyhounds and pronghorn antelopes. The episode delves into the measurement techniques used for determining critical speed and power in these animals, as well as the physiological factors that contribute to their athletic capabilities.
Personal journey of Dr. Mark Burnley and his interest in exercise physiology
Dr. Mark Burnley, a guest on the podcast, shares his personal journey as a researcher in exercise physiology. He discusses how his interests in middle-distance running and endurance physiology led him to studying critical power and the switch-on of the aerobic system. He also explores the parameters and markers of endurance, such as VO2 max and lactate threshold, and how they relate to training zones and performance in endurance athletes.
Understanding critical power and speed in different animals
The podcast episode highlights the implications of critical power and speed across different animals. It discusses how critical power can be used to optimize performance in team sports such as cycling and rowing, as well as individual endurance events like the 5K run. The importance of training within specific zones, such as zone two (moderate intensity) and zone three (severe intensity), is emphasized as a means to improve endurance and performance. It also reveals intriguing findings from comparing speed duration relationships in various animals, including their critical speeds and distance primes.
Challenges in measuring critical speed and power in animals
The podcast explores the challenges faced when measuring critical power and speed in various animals. Difficulties in measuring VO2 max, lactate responses, and time to exhaustion are discussed, along with the limitations of different measurement techniques. Furthermore, the episode touches upon the ethical considerations and practical constraints when conducting experiments with animals, such as difficulties in measuring critical speed in fish and birds. Overall, it highlights the complexities and nuances associated with studying and comparing speed duration relationships in different animal species.
Main Idea 1
The concept of critical speed or critical power is a fundamental aspect of endurance physiology that applies to all animal species.
Main Idea 2
Critical speed or critical power is a boundary that separates different exercise intensity domains, such as moderate, heavy, and severe.
Main Idea 3
Different animal species exhibit similar physiological responses to exercise above and below their critical speed or critical power.
Main Idea 4
Understanding critical speed or critical power can inform training zones and help optimize training for various endurance activities.
Dr Glenn McConell chats with Dr Mark Burnley from the Loughborough University in England. He is an expert on critical power (cycling) and critical speed (running). We compared and contrasted the speed duration relationship across the animal kingdom. Mark is an absolute wealth of knowledge on exercise intensity domains and critical power etc and comparative exercise physiology. Critical power is essentially one’s aerobic capacity and W’ is essentially one’s work capacity. Twitter: @DrMarkBurnley 0:00. Introduction and how Mark’s entry into research 6:12. Exercise intensity domains/ Critical power 10:02. Single out exercise to determine critical power 11:55. Marks students, supervisors, collaborators in the area etc 14:55. Critical power and W’ (the work capacity above critical power) 18:15. Lactate threshold and critical power 23:42. Isometric exercise, resistance exercise and critical power 26:50. Is W’ really all only anaerobic work capacity? 28:36. Maximum accumulated oxygen deficit 29:56. Practical use of critical power/ W’ for training/racing 31:55. Critical speed/pacing 33:50. Zones of training and critical power 37:35. Mark feels that with ex training all roads lead to Rome/Tokyo 38:15. Zone 2 confusion/evidence/lack of evidence etc 41:35. Animal athletes/critical power in animals 53:22. Dogs are too smart to do proper critical power measures 57:20. Desert Iguanas critical power 59:21. Crabs critical power 1:02:00. How compare critical speeds across the animal kingdom 1:04:46. Lungless salamanders critical power 1:06:37. Fish and birds critical power 1:16:35. Fibre type/capillaries/muscle mass and critical power 1:25:30. Humans are below average athletically 1:27:30. Migratory birds energy expenditure etc 1:31:40. Monty python 1:34:42. The speed duration curve shape tends to be similar across species 1:35:03. Crabs and humans have similar critical speed relationships! 1:36:00. Recovery and critical speed. W’ balance 1:39:02. Unthinking lactate use re Best practice for LT determination 1:44:27. Takeaway messages 1:47:10. Zones and training 1:51:10. With ex training all roads lead to Rome/Tokyo 1:52:21. Outro (9 seconds) 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). Connect with Inside Exercise and Glenn McConell at: Twitter: @Inside_exercise and @GlennMcConell1 Instagram: insideexercise Facebook: Glenn McConell LinkedIn: Glenn McConell https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-mcconell-83475460 ResearchGate: Glenn McConell Email: glenn.mcconell@gmail.com Subscribe to Inside exercise: Spotify: shorturl.at/tyGHL Apple Podcasts: shorturl.at/oFQRU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@insideexercise Anchor: https://anchor.fm/insideexercise Google Podcasts: shorturl.at/bfhHI Anchor: https://anchor.fm/insideexercise Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4025218 Not medical advice
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