Hi there, You've got the intervals dialed in. Zone 2 minutes logged. Recovery on point. So why isn't your VO₂ max budging? Hydration is a variable many athletes don’t troubleshoot, but it can cap your health goals even when everything else is working. Here’s why… Your heart and blood vessels run a closed loop: blood comes back to the heart, swings through the lungs to grab oxygen, then gets pumped out to your working muscles. More oxygen-rich blood moved per minute means more fuel for those muscles to burn. Dehydration throws a wrench in that loop. Less blood returns to the heart, so it fills less completely and ejects less blood with every beat. Your heart rate climbs to compensate, but during hard efforts, that compensation only goes so far.
For example, in one study, recreational athletes who skipped fluids for an extended amount of time saw an average 2% drop in VO₂ max during eight to ten minutes of hard cycling compared to when they were hydrated. Sodium is the linchpin. It's the electrolyte you lose the most of in sweat, and it's what helps keep the water you drink in your body long enough to rehydrate you. That's what helps restore blood volume and can help preserve VO₂ max during exercise. How the right training can help you get closer to your VO₂ max potential The training protocols with the most research behind them (with time and effort targets for each) Three ways to measure your own VO₂ max
Hydration is just one factor that contributes to your VO₂ max, but it can make the difference between grinding through a hard session and showing up ready to do the work. Stay Salty,
Robb and the LMNT Team |
