Notifications
Clear all
Topic starter
16/12/2019 7:14 pm
Amgen this week so the boys are in town, I bumped up a bit to go cruising with some of the teams, I'm at 60.8 but I was dehydrated at test time. How high have you guys gone for short periods?
FYI- I wasn't trying to go quite this high. I wouldn't recommend it and if the next test shows it still elevated after re-hydrating I'm off to donate at the red cross.
16/12/2019 7:33 pm
59 very briefly.. but I didn't sleep well. Seems like peak benefit comes around 59-60%...but it's risky. Best not to go above 55-56 IMHO.
The Festina boys where all at 54% according to Willy Voit and Riis dumped them like stones in the mountains. They all wondered what he was at...Mr. 60% certainly was NOT the most gifter rider in that bunch and especially in the mountains.
ahhh, the "olden days" when you could dope with impunity.
Just look at the great riders he dropped!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwHlCl2s0UM
RG
16/12/2019 7:59 pm
Awesome link RG!
I think optimal Hct is sort of an inverted U. Once you go too high the viscosity of your blood will increase resistance and delivery to the tissues will be impaired. What number this is...I don't know, but since Hct can vary depending on hydration status your best bet is to probably stay under 60 and always keep hydrating. I am considering once I get there using Desmo or glycerol in my water.
MS, CSCS, CPT
16/12/2019 8:20 pm
Everyone is different. I know good track runners who have high HCT yet they are no better than some who have lower.
16/12/2019 8:37 pm
Everyone is different. I know good track runners who have high HCT yet they are no better than some who have lower.
How high is their crit bro? A few people have a naturally high crit of 46-47% or so. This is quite rare and especially in endurance trained athletes where 40-44% is the norm.
Going from 40-44% in hematocrit to 50% or more will give most men a 12%-15% increase in sustainable power....but some can get as much as 20% believe it or not and other as little as 10%. You can even get more than 20% over the space of 6 months if you are not near your natural genetic limit.
It seems that the lower your baseline crit the more you get out of a high crit(on average).
Repeatability goes through the roof for everyone...that is you can surge hard and recover fast.
Day to day recovery improves to some degree.
The longer the race the more you notice the high crit benefits.
But, if someone is not very good to start with then a high crit won't make him very good.
IMPORTANTLY.....if your baseline crit is highish at say 46-47% then that is normal for you and a guy with a 40% like me may be able to kick your butt as this is normal for me. There are "other" physiological factors that contribute to performance that we have to take into consideration.
ie: I have a pretty big "stroke volume">>> the amount of blood that can be ejected from the Lt Ventricle of the heart with one beat of the heart. As a result of this my resting heart rate is 40-50 depending on my fitness level ....so at any given heart rate the amount of O2 that is delivered to my muscles is going to be pretty darn good even though my natural crit is only 40%.
RG Last edited by Realgains on 02-27-2008 at 12:43 AM
16/12/2019 9:04 pm
Yes an athelete with a 48% nat Hct will not neccessarily be stronger than an athelete with a 40-42% nat Hct.The body compensates for it in other ways;i have a nat low test level;but i just have to look at a barbel and i put on muscle i can increase my strength level by over 40% if i use exo test;i have proved this using weights ;but unfortunately it does not work as well on the bike;but still helps alot reco and with strength work etc..The key is if u have a crit of 40-42% and u increase to 50% with vit E u will get much stronger than an athelete who goes from 48-50%, 4-6 points stronger.M/track
16/12/2019 9:31 pm
Lemme add a couple points. Diseased indviduals who have problems with alveolar oxygen diffusion (pulmonary disorders) and smokers tend to have highr crit levels than the average person. These people are far from aerobic monsters even with their high crits. That being said, two individuals with similar body masses, similar arterio-venous oxygen differences, and similar cardiac outputs will have similar aerobic capacities if their crits are simliar as well.
Think of it this way. A 1,400 HP Pro-Stock Drag racing motor will produce way more power with racing fuel, thanit will with pump fuel. However, your showroom Honda Civic will not produce much more power with race fuel than with pump fuel.
MS, CSCS, CPT
16/12/2019 9:47 pm
Yes smokers have higher crits;dont reach for the chesterfields dudes.M/track
16/12/2019 10:18 pm
Yes smokers have higher crits;dont reach for the chesterfields dudes.M/track
I can just see it now.....in order to maintain crit level after your EPO loading phase smoke two packs a day!!
MS, CSCS, CPT