Why you definitely need to get functional testing

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

I've been running for about five years. There are already several Ironman 70.3 ("halves") and other shorter triathlon distances, many half marathons. My training week sometimes goes over 70-80 km of running. Having recently spent 1.5 hours on functional testing of the body, I could not understand for a long time why I had not done this earlier. How could I ignore the amazing data I received? Laziness and stupidity are to blame!

The desire to undergo functional testing arose because I again switched to the Polar V800 sports watch with Garmin Fēnix 3 (more on this in the next article of the cycle, keep a holivar mood) and I just wanted to correctly mark the heart rate zones. And also because I wanted to interview someone with more than 20 years of experience in the functional training of "professionals". But the first reason was more important.:)

There are different types of functional testing, and they are different for different sports. But it was interesting for me to check how my heart works and responds to stress, to determine the effective lung volume and to find the correct VO2 max data. And I also wanted to understand what my maximum heart rate is. Before testing, I thought my maximum heart rate was 172. Naive!

It all started with the fact that I stood on an ingenious scale and gave me a pen in my hand. The scale calculated the mass of body fat, the percentage of visceral fat (which is on the organs), the mass of bones, muscles in the arms and legs and the imbalance in this mass - a place to work. The fat was a bit too much, but the visceral fat was normal. It is said that getting rid of fat on the inside is much more difficult than getting rid of fat on the outside. Let's fix it.

Then there were fun with the tube and exhaling into it. You exhale slowly, quickly, alternately. All this in order to measure the volume of the lungs and their ability to quickly release exhaust air, which is very important for cyclists and sprinters.

After this test, it became clear why you can't just "jog" all the time, but you need to do high-speed work. If you just run and increase the volume of such training, then you develop inharmoniously and lose the sprint qualities that you may have had from the very beginning. Forgive me for the amateurishness in the wording, but I am not a doctor. Go to the tests and they will tell you about you super smart!

By the way, this test is a little painful, since emptying the lungs at high speed to the end is a very unpleasant exercise. Did not know.

At the stadium, I had to run many, many kilometers in the heart rate zones that the specialist asked me. At the end of each 400-meter lap, he measured the blood lactate level. The finger was not pierced, a special clothespin was used. Those who are especially meticulous can donate blood at each lap, prick their fingers and be sure that the results are like a pharmacy. I am not a professional athlete and am willing to accept errors and assumptions. And my blood is dear to me.

You run more than ten laps. You start out as a pensioner, barely moving your legs. Finish as fast as you can. I had a pace below 3 min / km and a heart rate of 182! I literally gasped for air, like a fish on the shore, and simply could not understand where everything that I breathe falls through. It was tough, and at some point I began to catch cartoons. The sun was to blame, which came out at the wrong time. But I caught my limit - 182. Now I understand that all the time when the coach said, “You work at 90% of your maximum heart rate,” I simply did not work out and the training was almost in vain.

And after the tests, I was told that running a half marathon in 1:37, as I did, was ashamed. Like I can do it in less than 1:30. Physiology is in favor. But the head and self-pity at the starts are against.:) But knowledge is power, and I already have a new goal for the half marathon.

Below I offer you a short film about how I went through this testing. Get the complete picture! And I highly recommend that you take the test in your city. It costs as much as one of your running shoes, and there will be much more sense for results and health.