Listen Time: 33mins

In this conversation, I welcome Andrew Usher to discuss the importance of understanding oxygen utilization in sports performance. We challenge the traditional focus on VO2 max as a measure of aerobic capacity and highlight the significance of muscle extraction and utilisation of oxygen. We dig into the benefits of extracting oxygen quickly and efficiently and it being more important than the volume of oxygen consumed. Andrew shares his research findings on the impact of supermaximal training on mitochondrial function and oxygen utilization. We also discuss the implications of these findings for injury recovery and team sports performance.

Takeaways

• VO2 max is not the sole determinant of aerobic capacity; muscle extraction and utilization of oxygen are equally important.
• The ability to extract oxygen quickly and efficiently is crucial for sports performance.
• Supermaximal training can significantly improve mitochondrial function and oxygen utilization.
• Understanding oxygen utilization can have implications for injury recovery and team sports performance.

If this episode challenged you to rethink conditioning work in any way, consider checking out the "Clarity in Conditioning" mentorship we have just launched. Visit www.collaboratesports.com/thegroupmentorships

As always, don't hesitate to reach out and hope you are enjoying the show!

Dan