Optimal Performance Weight For Endurance Athletes

Using total body weight alone is
like the cover of a text book.  It
gives you some idea of what's
inside but lacks important detail.

 "Never be fooled by what you see on the outside because on the inside it's often a different story." ~Anonymous

Human performance results from a complex interaction of physical, psychological, and nutritional variables. Your "optimal performance weight" is one of those variables. Let's drill down a little deeper into the topic.

Optimal Performance Weight

Body weight is an incredibly sensitive topic to discuss. Various societal pressures have increased the prevalence of disordered eating and exercise behaviors in young people. Some estimates suggest there are approximately 30 million US adults struggling with an eating disorder with 95% of them between the ages of 12-25. Female athletes make up a disproportionate percentage of that group. Many endurance athletes have experienced an eating disorder before or perhaps are struggling with one now. It is for that reason that I approach this subject very cautiously and in the spirit of supportive guidance rather than with disapproving judgement.

Body weight is inextricable related to endurance performance. More specifically, body composition (lean body mass and fat mass) is linked to endurance performance. But no online "optimal performance weight" calculator can determine that for you. Your optimal performance body composition can only be determined by consistent data collection over time. Here's how it works.

Body Composition
Your total body weight alone is like the cover of a text book; it gives you some idea of what's inside but lacks important details. With respect to body composition those details include lean body mass and percent body fat. If you're interested in optimizing endurance performance you should consider measuring your body composition routinely. These periodic body composition assessments create body accountability and data points. When assessing body composition consider the following guidelines;

1.) Assess Monthly
More frequent assessment is less sensitive to actual changes in body composition and more sensitive to daily or weekly fluctuations in body water.

2.) Standardize
By creating the same testing conditions (time of day, clothing, etc) you significantly reduce the error associated with the testing conditions.

3.) Testing Considerations
When you test make sure that you haven't exercised or eaten for at least three hours prior to the assessment and always on an empty bladder and bowel (ideally).

Commercial body fat scales are now both widely available and affordable. Most use "bioelectric impedance" technology which has been around for decades and highly correlated with the gold standards for this procedure (skinfold and plethysmography).

Performance Outcomes
Once you are in the habit of collecting lean body mass and percent body fat data the next step is to correlate it to endurance performance. There are a few important things to consider. First, understand that body composition naturally fluctuates throughout the year and/or training cycle. Differences in eating and activity patterns during the winter months and off-seasons tend to result in natural and acceptable increases in percent body fat during these times. Secondly, we must always account for the effects of aging on both performance and body composition. That is to say, you should keep your comparison of body composition and performance to the last 3-5 years. Anything beyond that becomes an unreasonable and unrealistic comparison and sets you up for discouragement and resultant demotivation. Lastly, standardize the correlation by choosing an event or workouts that is both relevant and repeatable.

My Experience

The last four years of body fat and Orchard Cross
results clearly shows that for me; leaner is faster.

This graph is the last four years of my percent body fat and cyclocross performance. The body composition data was collected on a Tanita body fat scale once a month (I've actually been collecting the data monthly for over a decade). The performance data is from a local cyclocross race (Orchard Cross) that I've done for a number of consecutive years and represents the finish points in my Category 4/5 40+ race. For those not familiar with cyclocross, the lower the finish points the better the performance relative to the rest of the field. There are a few important things to note from the graph. The first is that you can clearly see seasonal fluctuations in percent body fat with the winter months generally representing the higher percent body fat values. Secondly, there appears to be a direct correlation to my percent body fat and my Orchard Cross results. In other words, the lower my percent body fat, the better the performance result (in lower points) at that specific race. While this really isn't a surprise, it's very helpful for me to see it in black and white (and red). This graph clearly demonstrates that my 50 year old optimal performance body composition is around 10% body fat. And just as importantly, I know exactly the dedication it takes to reach this level.

Please remember that this value is highly individualized. Your optimal performance body composition is uniquely yours and you must collect adequate amounts of data to determine that value.

Supraventicular Tachycardia & Endurance Athletes

Endurance athletes live longer
than non-athletes but are at
greater risk of heart abnormalities.
Photo from VeloNews.

"Follow your heart but take your brain with you." ~Anonymous
In the field of exercise science there is a concept known as The Exercise Paradox and it suggests that if you survive enough repeated bouts of exercise you'll likely outlive those who never exercise. While that sounds dramatic, the facts are that as exercise intensity increases so does the risk of bad things happening. And almost all of those things involve the heart. But the flip side is the adoption of exercise a lifestyle behavior significantly reduces the risk of hypokinetic early mortality-related diseases like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and certain site specific cancers. Recent evidence suggests that masters endurance athletes with a long history of training may be at increased risk of heart-related rhythm abnormalities including one called supraventricular tachycardia. And as luck would have it, I recently discovered I too have experienced it.

In a previous career I spent nearly 25 years as a clinical exercise physiologist and had the good fortune to supervise over a million person-hours of ECG-monitored exercise. It's fair to say this particular topic is in my wheelhouse. I also was witness to countless episodes of this phenomena in the patients I supervised.

Heart Rate Monitoring

Many endurance athletes collect heart rate data during training. The consumer version of the technology has become quite advanced, accurate, and much more commonplace in the last 20 years. The most popular versions include wireless chest strap and wrist-based monitors. Although my personal bias is toward the chest-strap technology, recent comparative reviews have shown that both technologies are reasonably well correlated if the manufacturers instructions are followed. For nearly all of us who add the technology and data to our training plans, the motivation is to add important detail with respect to cumulative training stress across all modalities. But the benefits should also include the possibility of uncovering one of the more common and perhaps most elusive heart rhythm disturbances in endurance athletes; supraventricular tachycardia.

Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT): What You Need To Know

Supraventricular tachycardia occurs when faulty electrical connections in the upper chambers of the heart (ie. atria, "supraventricular", or above the ventricles) trigger and sustain an abnormal rhythm. When this happens, the heart rate accelerates (ie. tachycardia) too quickly and doesn't allow enough time for the heart to fill before it contracts again potentially impacting it's performance.(1)

This heart rhythm abnormality is one of the more common found in endurance athletes and is generally categorized as a "tachyarrhythmia" (ie. fast abnormal heart rate).  It often manifests itself as a sudden unpredictable accelerated heart rate (150-200 beats/minutes) that is inconsistent with the amount of exercise performed, is sustained for a number of minutes, and often resolves spontaneously.  Endurance athletes are largely desensitized to the feeling of high heart rates, so it may go unnoticed (ie. without symptoms).  However, some individuals are symptomatic while it is happening describing symptoms such as a fluttering in the chest, abnormal shortness of breath, dizziness, or unusual exercise-associated anxiety.  These symptoms and this abnormal rhythm may last for minutes or days and should result in a visit to your healthcare provider.  If you experience these symptoms associated with a sudden onset of accelerated heart rate inconsistent with the amount of activity performed you may be able to "break" the arrhythmia by using the valsalva maneuver.  Sit down and expire forcefully against a closed glottis for a few seconds.  This "bearing down" can momentarily alter the electrical pathways in the heart and resolve the arrhythmia.

Practical Application: How It's Uncovered

If the abnormal heart rhythm goes unnoticed it may not be until the post-activity review of the training data that the unusual accelerated heart rate is discovered. If endurance athletes notice this unusual accelerated heart rate the first thing that must be ruled out is a malfunction in the heart rate monitor itself. While home-based heart rate monitoring technology is robust, it is not without error. Generally speaking, if you notice sudden brief "spikes" in heart rate lasting only a few seconds it can be assumed that it is an equipment error. However, if these accelerated heart rates are sustained for minutes within a training session with an otherwise normally functioning device, then there should be suspicion that an actual arrhythmia has occurred.

My Recent Experience With SVT

Diagram 1:  The first indication that something
unusual had occurred was during the
post-activity review of heart rate data.

As "luck" would have it, this is exactly what happened to me during a recent fat bike ride. At nearly 50 years of age I have had the good health and fortune to have trained as an endurance athlete consistently for the past 30+ years. And working in the field of cardiology as a clinical exercise physiologist during much of that time, I have had a number of advanced diagnostic procedures performed including a 12-lead ECG, echocardiogram, and maximum graded exercise test. All had been interpreted as within normal limits. So although I understand the cardiovascular pathophysiology of long-term exposure to high volumes of endurance exercise, I was nonetheless taken off guard when I reviewed the heart rate response from a recent ride. Nearly halfway through a typical fat bike ride with better than average conditions following a fairly strenuous but not unusual climb (for me), I noticed my heart rate failed to drop on the easy downhill coast. You can see from the shaded area in Diagram 1 that not only did my heart rate fail to drop when I started back downhill, it actually accelerated above my average climbing heart rate (150 b/min vs. 180 b/min). Because my heart rate display was hidden under the sleeve of my jacket I was completely unaware during the activity that anything was out of the ordinary. The abnormally elevated heart rate spontaneously resolved after approximately 10 minutes. While there is absolutely no way to tell exactly what this abnormal heart rate was, the sudden onset, the rate, and spontaneous resolution are all highly suggestive of supraventricular tachycardia.

Diagram 2:  Two exact rides with one demonstrating
a suspiciously sudden elevated heart rate.

This frank episode had me wondering if it had happened before so I took a little closer look at some recent training data and low and behold I found another asymptomatic occurrence. This time on my hard tail single-speed bike and on pavement. And luckily I had another exact ride (route and equipment) for comparison. Diagram 2 is a comparative study of two exact rides on different days but on the same bike. The above heart rate data shows my "normal" heart rate response to this level of challenge. My heart rate increases during the climb and then decreases during the descent. This is very typical in cycling. However, the bottom heart rate data shows a failure of my heart rate to drop following the second ascent and subsequent descent. Although a little slower than my "episode" on the fat bike, this shaded area represents an average heart rate in the 160's and is consistent with SVT and because it occurred during a descent makes it suspicious.

Take Home Message

It's important to note that the diagnosis of SVT cannot be made by analyzing heart rate data solely although it is often the first indication the arrhythmia has occurred. You should become suspicious if when analyzing your heart rate data in the post-activity period you notice a sudden increase in heart rate (150-200 beats/min) that is inconsistent with the effort performed. If accompanied by the symptoms previously described and if it's a new phenomena to you, it's wise to contact your healthcare provider for follow-up. This follow-up will almost certainly include a physical exam and should include a 12-lead ECG. The paroxysmal nature of this arrhythmia makes it very difficult to document with electrocardiography. Many endurance athletes report having to wear an "event recorder" for multiple days including during exercise but without "uncovering" the arrhythmia. This often leads physicians to "speculate" what is actually happening. If however the arrhythmia is documented with an ECG and it has become performance-limiting, cardiologists may decide to either ablate (ie. destroy) the small cluster of cells in the atria causing the problem or slow the electrical conduction of the heart with a medication in the class known as beta blockers.

While this abnormal heart rhythm does not necessarily portend serious medical consequences in otherwise healthy hearts, it is worth noting and should always be followed up with a visit to your healthcare provider to rule out occult causes or other more serious tachyarrhythmias like ventricular tachycardia if you are symptomatic.

1 Mayo Clinic

Training Interference: Kicking It Down The Road

If you can't get in today's workout
should you kick it down the road?

"Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?"  ~Anonymous

The variable of interference is an integral part of every endurance training plan.  In every day practice the concept helps to answer the question, "If I miss today's training unit should I push it to tomorrow?".  The answer is almost always "perhaps", but let's look at why.

In the programming of endurance sports training, interference implies that one training unit has the potential to impact another training unit.  The magnitude of this interaction almost always is directly related to the time proximity of the two training units.  That is to say, the closer the training units are stacked together with respect to time, the greater the potential for them to interact.  When training programs are designed, this relationship between training units is fairly precisely orchestrated.

For simplicity let's categorize interference three ways; maximal, potential, and minimal. An example of all three is depicted in the training log below.

Maximal Interference
When performed on the same day, two training units have great potential to interfere with each other.  The type, duration, and intensity of the training unit will determine the amount of time needed for recovery (complete or incomplete) and therefore the magnitude of interference exerted on the subsequent training unit.  In this example, a running-specific hill workout precedes a mobility/strength training unit.  Because this training cycle represents a specific preparation phase for an upcoming event (within 4-8 weeks), running is given priority over mobility and strength development.  When two training units are scheduled and performed on the same day it can be assumed that the first training unit will maximally interfere with the subsequent training unit.  Sometimes there is an attempt to avoid this interaction (as in the case of scheduling the running unit first), and sometimes the interaction is used purposefully (as in the case of pre-fatiguing the sport-specific soft-tissues with "doubles").

Potential Interference

A common program design philosophy includes microcycle variability.  This is seen as following "hard" days with "easy" days to give the body's adaptive mechanisms a chance to do their work.  When multiple hard efforts are scheduled in sequence, not only is there less time for important training adaptations to occur, but the risk of overreaching is considerably higher.  In the example above, Thursday's steady-state workout is scheduled forty-eight hours prior to Saturday's long run.  This design is described as "potential interference" in so much as there is likely to be some carried fatigue from Thursday without compromising Saturday's training unit.  This carried fatigue is both purposeful and potentially important with regard to sport-specific performance.  In other words, marathon and ultramarathon sports have both a strength endurance and metabolic endurance component.  Performing Saturday's long run on some carried fatigue helps to prepare the athlete for the physical and energetic demands later in races.

Minimal Interference

Lastly, there are times in which training units are scheduled to minimally interact with each other as in the case of these Saturday long runs.  Although often this more a function of time availability, it does end up serving an important design benefit.  Training units of two hours in duration or longer, place significant stress loads on the body.  This includes the structural components (ie. musculoskeletal system), bio energetic systems (ie. glycogen and fat), and immune system.  The ability to successfully complete these long training units is vital to sport-specific performance.  Therefore while some carried fatigue is beneficial (as in the potential interference example above), an excessive amount of carried fatigue not only potentially compromising the successful completion of the training unit, but is also significantly increases the risk of soft-tissue injuries and illness.

In summary, because most weekly training schedules often use all three forms of interference, be careful when you "kick a training unit down the road" by moving it to the next day.  

Influenza & The Endurance Athlete

When it comes to the
influenza virus there's almost
nowhere to hide.

"I am sick and tired of being sick and tired."  ~Fannie Lou Hamer

Have you noticed that "something's going around" lately?  There's a better than average chance that you or a training partner has been sidelined with an illness in the last four weeks.  While athletes are generally the healthiest and heartiest in a population, they too are susceptible to catching what's going around and this time of year that generally means the flu.

According to the Center's for Disease Control and Prevention, influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.  While there are four types of the virus (A, B, C, & D), human influenza viruses A & B are responsible for seasonal epidemics almost every winter.   Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus;  the hemagglutinin (H) and the neuraminidase (N). There are 18 different hemagglutinin subtypes and 11 different neuraminidase sub types. (H1 through H18 and N1 through N11 respectively.)  Influenza A viruses can be further broken down into different strains. Current subtypes of influenza A viruses found in people are influenza A (H1N1) and influenza A (H3N2) viruses. *adapted from the CDC

The Flu Virus In Action
From the CDC

How It Spreads  
Scientists believe that influenza viruses spread mainly by tiny droplets made when people with the flu cough, sneeze, or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses (ie. respiratory system) of people who are less than six feet away. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or even their eyes.  Most healthy adults may be able to infect other people beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. Children may pass the virus for longer than 7 days. Symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Some people can be infected with the flu virus but have no symptoms. During this time, those persons may still spread the virus to others.  *adapted from the CDC

What Are The Symptoms?  
People who have the flu often feel some or all of these signs and symptoms that usually start suddenly, not gradually:

• Fever* or feeling feverish/chills (*not everyone with the flu will have a fever)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue (very tired)
• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in young children than in adults.

*adapted from the CDC

"The Flu Season"
From the CDC

The Impact To Endurance Athletes
While there are no ideal times to be sick, there are certainly times that are worse than others.  According to the CDC, the peak months for flu activity are December through March.  This time period represents important sport-specific preparation for spring events including marathons.  During this time every training unit is critical as volume is gradually increased toward key benchmarks.  Missing a single training unit will have little impact on the accumulation of fitness, but missing a week or more of training may result in a setback and prompt revisions to the training plan and reassessment of goals.  

Preventing The Flu
The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the initial and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.  As discussed earlier, there are many subtypes of the virus and all can cause influenza.  Scientist develop the vaccine each year to handle what is estimated to be the most common type(s), but it is never a guaranteed measure against getting sick.  Athletes should also consider the following every day practices to reduce the likelihood of getting the flu;

• Try to avoid close contact with known sick people.
• Limit the time spent in close contact with large groups of people.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.

Once You're Sick

Despite getting the flu shot and practicing good prevention measures, athletes sometimes get sick.  Identifying and dealing with the illness appropriately may lessen the burden on those within your immediate environment and help you return to training safely and effectively.

If during the months of December through March the symptoms listed above come on suddenly following exposure to individuals with known influenza there is a very good chance you have also contracted it.  Although because there are other respiratory illnesses that can also cause flu-like symptoms it's virtually impossible to diagnose the virus without a test.  Therefore, flu-like illnesses in otherwise healthy athletes are essentially handled the same way.

Most athletes with the flu (or other flu-like illnesses) have a mild illness and do not require medical attention or anti-viral medications.  If you do get sick in most cases it's best to stay home, rest, and avoid contact with other people.  Some individuals are considered high risk for developing flu-related complications and should consult their healthcare providers as soon as symptoms develop.  A full list may be found on the CDC website.

In an effort to lessen the burden on others and hasten your return to activity, it's wise to follow these practices when you're sick with flu-like symptoms;

• While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, the CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Remain adequately hydrated.  Urine should be pale yellow color.
• Hold all training activities for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone or symptoms have subsided.

Returning To Training

Once symptoms have gone and you're feeling back to yourself, the next challenge is determining the safest and most effective way to return to training.  Prolonged bed rest (30 days or greater) may have a profound effect on the cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal systems.  These changes may include reductions in VO2max, skeletal muscle force production, and bone density.  Any illness causing bed rest of this duration should result in the complete redesign of a training plan to start from square zero.  The initial priority is the safe resumption of every day physical activity to eventually include a very low volume exercise program.  This approach may take up to six months to prepare an athlete to begin a structured and more rigorous training plan.

Most layoffs for endurance athletes however are a week or less in duration.  Nevertheless, the physiologic degradation of the cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal systems happens on a continuum and should be considered when resuming training.  It may be assumed that early remodeling of the cardiovascular and muscular systems will be of greatest importance to the endurance athlete returning to training.  If you've been "in bed" with flu-like symptoms for a week or less it may be wise to consider the following return to training guidelines;

• Missed training units should remain missed, do not push them ahead in the plan.
• The first endurance-type training unit performed after a layoff should be an active recovery or easy training unit.  Avoid higher intensity workouts on the initial day back to training.
• Strength training may need to be modified to reduce the volume by decreasing the intensity (ie. amount of weight lifted).

It takes a considerable amount of time off from training to result in significant decreases in fitness so many athletes may find their return to training fairly uneventful.  That said, it is still important to lower performance expectations in the 7-14 days following a typical layoff while physiologic adaptations occur.

Doubt, Faith, & Tenacity

Tim Van Orden embodies doubt,
faith, and tenacity on Upper
Walking Boss at the Loon Mountain
Race, Lincoln, NH. 
Photo by
Joe Viger Photography.

Nothing is possible without three essential elements; a great ball of doubt, a deep root of faith, and a fierce tenacity of purpose.  ~Zen wisdom

It is always the case that your present situation is framed by your beliefs.  In athletics, as in life, there is an unending ebb and flow of triumph and defeat.  Having the proper mental constitution allows us to enjoy the pleasant without holding on when it changes (it will) and to embrace the unpleasant without fear that it will always be that way (it won't).  

Doubt: The Beginning 
Contrary to most theoretical teachings, doubt is not the opposite of faith but a part of it.  To doubt is to question.  To question is to search for answers.  And when those answers lead to understanding, we attain a higher level of existence.  Questioning constructs our beliefs.  These beliefs, when witnessed firsthand, create faith.  Rather than seeing doubt as a negative, accept that is part of the search for knowledge.  With knowledge there is growth and with growth there is development.

Faith: The Compass
A precise path to success does not exist.  While short term training plans map out our physical actions for weeks and months in advance, unforeseen obstacles await.  Because of this reality, a compass is a necessity.  Faith is that compass.  When things don't go as planned, and we are forced to divert from our original route, our faith helps us to navigate around these obstacles and return us to our success bearing.  We trust this compass because of the time spent collecting knowledge.  

Tenacity: The Way
Goal attainment is a result of a commitment to unwavering forward progress in the face of challenges great and small.  It is not prosperity that defines us, rather it is adversity.  While action has the potential to lead to change, consistent action guarantees change.  With faith as our guide, we resolve that no matter what the obstacle, the way is always in the process.  We grip tightly.  

Effort Follows Attitude

Ken Wiley at the 2016
Wilmington Whiteface 100k
(Photo courtesy of WW100k)

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you." -Walt Whitman

We all have mental and physical limits.  Some races test them more than others.  At the 2016 Wilmington Whiteface 100k mountain bike race Ken Wiley endured a driving rainstorm that turned the course into 60 miles of slick roots and more mud than any drive train could handle.  Multiple broken chains may have slowed his progress but did not deter his will.  His 5:34 finish was good enough for 100th place but more than that his experience taught an important lesson.

A Lesson In Attitude & Effort
Once an event has started we can only control two things; our attitude and our effort.  Attention directed at anything else (the weather, course conditions, our competition) steals vital energy and may affect performance.  Athletes that are able to overcome tremendous obstacles and adversity understand that their effort follows their attitude.  It's normal human behavior to have negative thoughts.  It's common to have these thoughts during challenging athletic endeavors.  Successful athletes have the same negative inner dialogue as anyone else but the difference is they identify these thoughts as counter to their goals and quickly redirect attention to positive affirmations (ie. "I am prepared to suffer.").  If a negative attitude dominates the consciousness, the effort begins to feel exponentially more difficult and a vicious cycle of negative attitude and increased effort leading to a more negative attitude throws them into a devastating downward performance spiral.

On race day remember that you only have control of two things; your attitude and your effort.  But these are the most important two things to you reaching your performance goals.  It's okay to have negative thoughts.  Just be prepared to identify them and then redirect them toward positive affirmations that improve attitude and therefore performance.