RunningAHEAD - Topic: Conversion Table for Aerobic Conditioning Equivalents?

evtish

posted: 3/25/2008 at 2:55 PM

I sometimes Spin for recovery from hard workouts. What is the Aerobic Conditioning Equivalent of non-running activities?? Worded slightly differently, Is Spinning 45 min at 130 HR = 45 min Running at 130 HR = 45 min anything at 130 HR from an AC point of view. After all, the heart is still pumping at the same rate. Can I count these towards my weekly mileage bc it sucks looking at my mileage when I Spin twice a week. Even though I worked my AC, I don't get the credit for it mileage wise. Maybe what really matters in building endurance is time per week at the AC range HR. This of course would not help build the proper leg muscles/tendons/ligiments needed to run efficiently, but from a "pure AC" point of view, I do not see the difference. Does anyone have any reseach on this? Triathletes must have something. I haven't had any luck with my google searches. I think about stuff like this all the time. Smile

AKTrail

posted: 3/25/2008 at 3:18 PM
modified: 3/25/2008 at 3:21 PM

FWIW, I just log all my stuff - running, mtn biking, xc skiing, xt class (plyos, machine ckts, etc), etc - by time and intensity (hr zones) for total volume. If I want my running volume, I only include those runs. The latter is what I use for tracking running progress toward goals. The first (total volume) is what I use to keep an eye out on not overdoing things, more for injury prevention. It's the same body doing all the stuff, but only running (and some plyos) have the impact of running. (I include some power hiking time in the running since that's race specific.) Some of the cardio benefits will differ by activity, even with the same heart rate since some of the benefits (like mitochondria, capillaries) may occur in specific muscles.

"So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog

jEfFgObLuE

I've got a fever...

posted: 3/25/2008 at 3:25 PM

Well, your maxHR spinning/on a bike is lower than while running, so from a %maxHR standpoint, your exertion is higher. However, and this is a big however, you are not having to do any work against gravity. So although you are getting your HR up there, your muscles are not getting nearly the benefit that they would from running. And aerobic is not just about the lungs, it's about developing new capillaries to deliver more blood to those muscles. About the closest approximation I'm aware of is that 1 mile running is a equivalent to 4 miles cycling (see this thread). The ratio is closer to 1:3 for outdoor cycling, 1:4 for indoor spinning.

On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

Conversion Table for Aerobic Conditioning Equivalents? (Read 527 times)