I'm in my 8th of 18 week training for the Buckeye Challenge Half Ironman. There are 4 more weeks left of base training to build up strength and endurance. During this build up phase I am focusing on not missing any of the bike rides. And up to now I have been able to keep on track by not missing any of the long rides. Although, finding the time and place to ride becomes a challenge. I have to be creative with my time and route.
I ran 20 miles this past Sunday to begin the counterpulsation tests for this week. This is part two of a test that began at the end of March. At that time I was training for the Boston marathon and had run my last 20 miler before tapering for Boston. Results from that test showed that after the 20 mile run and under normal recovery my blood levels went back to normal after 5 days. This time I ran 20 miles, only 2 minutes slower (2:26:14), and I felt little discomfort or soreness. The blood test after 2 days so far indicate a faster recovery compared to the previous test. The faster recovery is what the lab techs were expecting, due to the counterpulsation test.
The counterpulsation consists of laying flat on your back with these cuffs wrapped around each leg completely and air is force into the cuffs to compress the legs so that the blood is forced back up into the heart during the resting phase of the heart beat. The lab techs monitor the blood pressure to make sure the lower number of my blood pressure does not exceed 1.4 times higher than the upper number of my blood pressure. For example if my blood pressure is 114/80 then when the machine is pumping air, in rhythm of my heart beat, the blood pressure may read 114/114. Anyway by using this method it is supposed that muscle recovery is enhanced by 2 to 3 days. The only discomfort I have is when the cuffs compress my legs it feels like someone is constantly punching them all over. I have to lay for 1 hour for 5 days. Three more days of speedy recovery. Oh, boy!
If I had to pay for this speedy recovery I'd say no thank you. But rather they are paying me $500.00 for this fancy test. I'm a triathlete so I put up with the little discomfort and enjoy the cash.
With the $500.00 I will buy a Garmin Forerunner 205 Wrist-Mounted GPS Navigator and Personal Training Device, and a weekend backpack for my lovely wife.
I will post more test results and numbers when I complete the test.
Showing posts with label Fitness Test. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fitness Test. Show all posts
Monday, June 04, 2007
Friday, May 04, 2007
Vo2 Max & Fitness test
A definition of cardiovascular fitness can be explained as the ability of the heart, lungs and circulatory system to supply oxygen and nutrients to working muscles efficiently, and allows activities that involve large muscle groups (walking, running, swimming, biking, etc.) to be performed over long periods of time. From a health standpoint, cardiovascular or aerobic fitness is generally considered to be the most important of the fitness components.
I had the opportunity to get a fitness test and my maximum oxygen consumption (Max VO2) measured last Friday at the Human Performance lab here at CSU. A fitness test along with a Max VO2 test is part of the fitness for life class that students take at the end of the semester.
My fitness test results included the measurements of:
**Blood Chemistry's - Total Cholesterol -203 mg/dl, HDL - 65 mg/dl, LDL - 120 mg/dl, Triglycerides - 86 mg/dl, and Glucose - 95mg/dl,
**Muscular Strength Assessment - Grip (L) 53 kg, and Grip (R) 49 kg
**Flexibility Assessment - Sit & Reach - 9.3 in
**Body Composition - Body weight 144lbs, Lean Body Mass 134.5 lbs, Fat Mass 9.5 lbs, Basal Metabolic Rate 1915, Body fat percentage 6.6%.
My Body Age is 39 compared to my chronological age of 47. I finally caught up with my father who still claims to be 39. Now I can say, 'I'm turdee-nine too (said with a Hungarian accent).
The Max VO2 test was performed on a treadmill. I started with a warm-up run at a 7:30 pace for 10 minutes and the incline set to zero. After the warm-up a head piece with a mouth piece connected to hoses and a nose clip were put on and I was hooked up to the machine to begin the test. The test began with me running at the 7:30 pace and the incline increased to 3 percent every 3 minutes. I hit my max of 60.8 ml/kg-min ten minutes into the test and the incline was set to 9 percent. At eleven minutes the effort began to wane and my VO2 went down to 58.6 which meant I wouldn't get any better than 60.8 and the test was completed. I think I might have done better if the nose clip didn't keep flying off my sweaty nose and the head piece would have stayed on better. I was a bit distracted with those issues and lost my concentration to push it a little harder. Overall I was please with the results which indicated my cardiovascular fitness to be in the 99th percentile and the Elite classification.
I have been in the program for the past 6 years and have been tested every year. I find it interesting to review the results and compare it with pervious years.
I had the opportunity to get a fitness test and my maximum oxygen consumption (Max VO2) measured last Friday at the Human Performance lab here at CSU. A fitness test along with a Max VO2 test is part of the fitness for life class that students take at the end of the semester.
My fitness test results included the measurements of:
**Blood Chemistry's - Total Cholesterol -203 mg/dl, HDL - 65 mg/dl, LDL - 120 mg/dl, Triglycerides - 86 mg/dl, and Glucose - 95mg/dl,
**Muscular Strength Assessment - Grip (L) 53 kg, and Grip (R) 49 kg
**Flexibility Assessment - Sit & Reach - 9.3 in
**Body Composition - Body weight 144lbs, Lean Body Mass 134.5 lbs, Fat Mass 9.5 lbs, Basal Metabolic Rate 1915, Body fat percentage 6.6%.
My Body Age is 39 compared to my chronological age of 47. I finally caught up with my father who still claims to be 39. Now I can say, 'I'm turdee-nine too (said with a Hungarian accent).
The Max VO2 test was performed on a treadmill. I started with a warm-up run at a 7:30 pace for 10 minutes and the incline set to zero. After the warm-up a head piece with a mouth piece connected to hoses and a nose clip were put on and I was hooked up to the machine to begin the test. The test began with me running at the 7:30 pace and the incline increased to 3 percent every 3 minutes. I hit my max of 60.8 ml/kg-min ten minutes into the test and the incline was set to 9 percent. At eleven minutes the effort began to wane and my VO2 went down to 58.6 which meant I wouldn't get any better than 60.8 and the test was completed. I think I might have done better if the nose clip didn't keep flying off my sweaty nose and the head piece would have stayed on better. I was a bit distracted with those issues and lost my concentration to push it a little harder. Overall I was please with the results which indicated my cardiovascular fitness to be in the 99th percentile and the Elite classification.
I have been in the program for the past 6 years and have been tested every year. I find it interesting to review the results and compare it with pervious years.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Bloody stuff.
Here are the week long blood test results taken after running a 20 miler. The test was to analyze the normal recovery rate from a 20 mile run.
Blood Inflammation:
C Reactive Protein (CRP) - Used to measure muscle tissue damage.
Normal: 0–1.0 mg/dL or less than 10 mg/L (SI units)
Pre-20 mile run - .72
Post 20 mile run - .96
Day 1 - 3.49
Day 2 - 1.97
Day 3 - 1.33
Day 4 - 1.20
Day 5 - 1.16
Blood Enzymes:
Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) - Used to measure tissue damage. Also called lactic acid dehydrogenase. For adults, in most laboratories, the range can be up to approximately 200 units/L, but is usually found within 45-90 U/L.
Pre-20 mile run - 150
Post 20 mile run - 195
Day 1 - 156
Day 2 - 152
Day 3 - 152
Day 4 - 159
Day 5 - 155
Creatinine Kinase (CK) - is an enzyme found primarily in the heart and skeletal muscles, and to a lesser extent in the brain. Significant injury to any of these structures will lead to a measurable increase in CK levels. The primary damage in my case was to the skeletal muscle system.
Normal Range: Male-15-160U/L Female-15-130U/L
Pre-20 mile run - 96
Post 20 mile run - 176
Day 1 - 524
Day 2 - 263
Day 3 - 137
Day 4 - 135
Day 5 - 98
As you can see from the results it wasn't until after the 5th day that the levels went back down to the pre-20 mile run. After the 3rd day I felt no soreness in my legs yet the test results indicated I still had inflammation. The levels may have gone down sooner if I didn't swim, bike, or run during the 5 day test period. It looks like it takes 6 to 7 days before I would be fully recovered from the 20 mile run. I think this is good proof to me that the 3 weeks needed for tapering before a marathon is very important in order to perform well on race day.
I'm sure the results have more meaning but this is all I could gather for now. I'll have to wait for the professors and the graduate student to write their report on us and hope they give us a copy.
The next test will be on the effects of counterpulsation to improve recovery from a 20 mile run, will take place in early May.
Blood Inflammation:
C Reactive Protein (CRP) - Used to measure muscle tissue damage.
Normal: 0–1.0 mg/dL or less than 10 mg/L (SI units)
Pre-20 mile run - .72
Post 20 mile run - .96
Day 1 - 3.49
Day 2 - 1.97
Day 3 - 1.33
Day 4 - 1.20
Day 5 - 1.16
Blood Enzymes:
Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) - Used to measure tissue damage. Also called lactic acid dehydrogenase. For adults, in most laboratories, the range can be up to approximately 200 units/L, but is usually found within 45-90 U/L.
Pre-20 mile run - 150
Post 20 mile run - 195
Day 1 - 156
Day 2 - 152
Day 3 - 152
Day 4 - 159
Day 5 - 155
Creatinine Kinase (CK) - is an enzyme found primarily in the heart and skeletal muscles, and to a lesser extent in the brain. Significant injury to any of these structures will lead to a measurable increase in CK levels. The primary damage in my case was to the skeletal muscle system.
Normal Range: Male-15-160U/L Female-15-130U/L
Pre-20 mile run - 96
Post 20 mile run - 176
Day 1 - 524
Day 2 - 263
Day 3 - 137
Day 4 - 135
Day 5 - 98
As you can see from the results it wasn't until after the 5th day that the levels went back down to the pre-20 mile run. After the 3rd day I felt no soreness in my legs yet the test results indicated I still had inflammation. The levels may have gone down sooner if I didn't swim, bike, or run during the 5 day test period. It looks like it takes 6 to 7 days before I would be fully recovered from the 20 mile run. I think this is good proof to me that the 3 weeks needed for tapering before a marathon is very important in order to perform well on race day.
I'm sure the results have more meaning but this is all I could gather for now. I'll have to wait for the professors and the graduate student to write their report on us and hope they give us a copy.
The next test will be on the effects of counterpulsation to improve recovery from a 20 mile run, will take place in early May.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
20 mile run, Tests, now Taper for Boston!
For the last 2 weeks I was looking forward to running my final 20 miler before the Boston Marathon. I found online that a local running store was hosting a fully aided 20 mile Boston prep run and I decided to sign up and enjoy the camaraderie within the beautiful and scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
But then, earlier this week I was asked by one of the professors in the Sports Science department here at CSU to participate in a study on the effects of counterpulsation on delayed onset of muscle soreness. I guess they use this treatment on heart patients to help relieve chest pain and other symptoms of angina and to relieve the symptoms of heart failure which include trouble breathing and feeling very tired even after a small amount of effort.
The test would be in 2 parts and both require the subjects to run 20 miles at 70% of maximum heart rate. The first test would measure and compare blood test results of before and after the run and to determine the inflammation rates of soreness up to 5 days.
The second part of the test we run 20 miles under same conditions and after the run we get strapped in a bed, for about an hour, into what looks like inflatable cuff pads to compress the legs to force blood flow back up into the heart. The professor said it will feel like a good but tough message of the legs. And that he suspects the healing and soreness would be greatly reduced as compared to normal recovery time.
Today's Stats:
weight before the run 139 lbs.
after the run 135 lbs. (I need to drink more during the run)
C-Reactive Protein (is measure of inflammation in the body) before the run .72 mg/L
C-Reactive Protein after the run .96 mg/L (both results were in normal range)
Drank 24 ounces of apple cider vinegar & honey water mixture. (works better than Gatorade)
Average heart rate 130 BPM (75% max HR)
Run time 2:23:54
Urine specific gravity 1.016 UG. (after run and results in normal range)
weight before the run 139 lbs.
after the run 135 lbs. (I need to drink more during the run)
C-Reactive Protein (is measure of inflammation in the body) before the run .72 mg/L
C-Reactive Protein after the run .96 mg/L (both results were in normal range)
Drank 24 ounces of apple cider vinegar & honey water mixture. (works better than Gatorade)
Average heart rate 130 BPM (75% max HR)
Run time 2:23:54
Urine specific gravity 1.016 UG. (after run and results in normal range)
There was other blood tests but I don't have the results yet. I'll post them later.
I won't be able to get the second treatment until after Boston. I'll recover 2-3 weeks before I run 20 and then get cuffed. Interesting test results to follow.
And now I will enjoy some rest from intense training and begin to mentally prepare for the 111th running of the Boston Marathon.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Fitness for Life Test Results
The fitness for life program at Cleveland State University offers individual exercise program recommendations based on evaluation of physical fitness; safe and supervised group exercise geared to each participant's physical capacities; information on improving and maintaining physical condition, weight control, and prevention of training injuries; and a structure for tracking exercise participation and achievements.
Members receive stress tests; measures of their body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and lung capacity; blood analyses; a health risk appraisal; a baseline to assess level of fitness and set exercise guidelines; and a follow-up at the end of the year to help measure improvement in fitness level.
I have been in the program for 5 years and can proudly say that after taking the once a year tests this past Monday there has been improvement in my overall results compared to all the previous years.
Here is a list of the biggest change in results from 4/23/02 with today's summary:
Weight: then 157lbs. now 142lbs.
Body Mass Index: then 23.2kg/m2 now 21.0kg/m2
Total Cholesterol: then 182ml/dL now 173ml/dL
HDL Cholesterol: then 42ml/dL now 54ml/dL
LDL Cholesterol: then 106ml/dL now 106ml/dL
Triglycerids: then 169ml/dL now 61ml/dL
Glucose: then 107ml/dL then 87ml/dL
Blood Pressure - Systolic: then 138mm/Hg now 130mm/Hg
Blood Pressure - Diastolic: then 90mm/Hg now 86mm/Hg
Max VO2: then 60.0ml/kg min now 68.4ml/kg min
Body Composition: then 12.7% fat now 6.8% fat
And the interesting number is my Body Age which is 35 compared to my chronological age of 46.
It's weird when people at work tell me, "you've lost weight". And that I look trim, lean, mean, and thinner. I am surprised people notice these things because if you ask me I don't think I pay attention to peoples weight gain or loss. Ok, I did unconsciously lose 9 pounds since this past January. But all I did was add 3 times a week of dumbbells with the exercise ball to my regular swimming, biking, and running routine. And maybe I have become more aware of my nutrition intake. I try to follow the grazing method of eating healthy foods throughout the day. As my wife's 90 year old grandma would say, "that's all I know".
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