Power Infrasture and Aerobic Infrastructure
The Power Infrastructure creates the movement… the Aerobic Infrastructure allows you continue.
Every activity is unique in its movement and as such has its own Infrastructure to develop. Practicing swimming would not specifically help develop the infrastructure of cycling.
The Force produced by the Power Infrastructure for each activity creates the movement across joint(s) resulting in the presentation of the activity. As we produce more Force in the movement, we also increase our immediate Energy Demand.
The Aerobic Infrastructure resupplies the energy as it is needed. When Energy Demand goes up, you will be able to feel your breathing intensity increase as the muscles beg for more oxygen to replenish the energy used. If at any point the real time Energy Demand is higher than what can be replenished by the Aerobic Infrastructure…
- energy is sourced by a much less efficient production line causing a rapid descent in Energy Supply until it is spent,
- or until Energy Demand is lowered along with Force production.
The enhancement of the Aerobic Infrastructure allows for improved resupply of energy in real time as Energy Demand increases with Force production. The improved Aerobic Infrastructure will also help with recovery in between the sets of higher energy demand.
The Power Infrastructure can be enhanced as well. Improved movement pattern can improve efficiency, reducing Energy Demand. Another enhancement would be to be able generate more Force.
Developing the Power Infrastructure helps produce more force…
Developing the Aerobic Infrastructure allows the developed Power Infrastructure to produce more force for longer.
The Aerobic Infrastructure includes mitochondria (powerhouse), myoglobin (readily available oxygen at the muscle), raw energy available in the local muscle (readily available carbohydrates, fats), capillaries in the muscle to supply oxygen from the blood, and hemoglobin to carry the oxygen in the blood.
Importance of Enhancement through Training Volume Stress and Recovery
Performance of the activity is improved through recovering from the stimulation (focus of the session) in the unique movement. Each training session has a purpose. In effect you are telling your body what you want it to be able to do. A lot of the training is based around holding good form while producing movement at a particular intensity. Total Training Stress, a calculation of Time Spent at particular Intensity should also be considered. For a set amount of training time, Lower intensity brings about a lower training stress then higher intensity. It’s not one or the other, it is a formula of both. By organizing sessions in a particular way over a period of time we start developing certain enhancements.
If someone puts on more effort (intensity) during any time of a session, the time spent in that higher effort creates more stress on the body. In the same regard if a headwind develops on the same training course that you usually cover you have increased the training stress with that head wind by either riding a longer time for the same distance or with more effort for the same time. If this is continuous without time to recover, performance will deteriorate, and injury will occur.
If the right amount or recovery is allowed enhancement will occur. To keep an eye on your training we use TRAININGPEAKS™ to have the training data automatically load from the device you used. We can see how much your training has deviated from the plan and from there we can do some adjustments. Subjective feedback is also very helpful. After completing the session, you can add how difficult you perceived the session to be and how recovered do you feel in your training…. Once you have put in your data, digitally or manually, you can add your subjective feedback on the session.