Here's how to measure your maximum aerobic speed (and why it's crucial)

Visit Maximum Aerobic Speed (VMA) is a fundamental concept for athletes, especially those planning competitions such as the 10 km, half-marathon or marathon. Understanding and measuring your VMA gives you the opportunity to optimize your performance through targeted, scientifically-validated training.

What is vma in sport?

Visit Maximum Aerobic Speed (VMA) represents the maximum running speed achieved when consuming maximum oxygen (VO2 max). This speed is a key indicator for assessing an athlete's performance level and adjusting his or her training plan.

VMA allows you to :

• More specific training by adapting sessions to specific speeds.
• Calculate running speeds for every type of training, whether endurance, resistance or split training.
• Estimating future running time over various distances, including marathons and half-marathons.
• Avoid unnecessary fatigue and injuries by training at appropriate intensities, thus limiting osteoarticular and cardiac risks.

What is the link between vma and vo2max?

Visit VO2max and the VMA are closely linked. VO2max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can consume per unit of time. MVA corresponds to the speed at which this state of maximum consumption is reached. In other words, the higher the VO2max, the higher the VMA.

Three main factors influence VMA:

1. VO2maxpartially determined by the athlete's genes.
2. Energy costs or locomotion efficiency.
3. Motivation of the athlete, crucial to maintaining high-intensity effort.

The different energy sources mobilized according to the intensity of the race are :

• Anaerobic alactic very brief, intense effort using ATP stored in the muscles.
• Anaerobic lactic High-intensity effort, producing lactic acid.
• Aerobic prolonged effort using glucose, fatty acids and sometimes amino acids.

Knowing your VMA allows you to optimize your sessions and gradually increase your aerobic capacity.

Why calculate and know your vma?

Visit VMA is essential for all athletes wishing to structure and optimize their training. With this knowledge, it is possible to :

• Adapting training sessions according to the specific objectives of each athlete.
• Setting the right paceThis reduces the risk of under- or over-training.
• Predicting performance over different distances.

Tests commonly used to measure VMA include :

1. The Cooper test Run as far as possible in 12 minutes.
2. The half-Cooper test maximum run over 6 minutes.
3. The VAMEVAL progressive test, increasing speed every minute.
4. Split sessions like the 10x400m.

These tests enable us to accurately determine the maximum aerobic speed of each athlete, so that we can adjust our sessions accordingly.

The benefits of calculating vma according to your running profile

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced runner, knowing your VMA has many benefits. For beginners, it helps structure sessions to suit their level. For more experienced runners, it provides a solid basis for fine-tuning performance and setting ambitious targets, while minimizing the risk of injury.

How to calculate your vma: the different field tests

To measure your VMAThere are several field testing methods available. Each test has its own specific features and can be adapted to different contexts and levels of athlete.

Continuous half-cooper test: average speed over 6 minutes

Visit half-Cooper test consists of running as fast as possible for 6 minutes. The distance covered during this time is used to estimate your VMA.

Another test is the Cooper testThis 12-minute program follows the same principles, but is twice as long. Finally, the VAMEVAL test is achieved by increasing speed in one-minute increments until exhaustion is reached.

And of course split session 10x400m is an interesting way of assessing VMA, especially in advanced training. These multiple tests enable you to accurately assess your aerobic capacity and adapt your training.

Where to do my vma test: athletics track, open road or treadmill?

For accurate and reliable results, choose optimum test conditions. An athletics track offers a standardized surface and ideal testing conditions. An open road may also be suitable, provided it's flat and well-measured. Last but not least, a treadmill provides stable conditions, regardless of the weather.

How to improve your vma: training

Improve your VMA requires a specific and rigorous training plan. Training sessions split are proving particularly effective.

Flat split training

The split consist of alternating periods of fast running close to VMA with recovery phases. For example, you could run for 30 seconds at high intensity followed by 30 seconds of recovery, then repeat this cycle several times.

Another example is the 10x400m: 400 metres run at high intensity followed by 200 metres of slow recovery. These exercises stimulate and improve the body's aerobic capacity.

Training uphill

Visit climbs increase the effort required, building strength and endurance. Performing repetitions of ascents followed by descents or active recovery is an excellent way to improve your VMA.

Don't forget to measure and monitor recovery between efforts to avoid overload and optimize the benefits of training.

By applying these methods, we can generate significant progress in our practice. Make these sessions part of your weekly routine and evaluate your performance regularly.

Remember to take a vma test regularly!

To keep track of your performance, it's crucial to test your VMA several times a year. This allows you to continually adapt your training sessions to your progress.

Muscles play a vital role in improving VMA. They mobilize joints, regulate blood circulation and produce heat. The muscle fibers involved vary according to the intensity of effort:

• High-speed fibers For short, intense efforts.
• Slow fibers for prolonged efforts.

By keeping these aspects in mind, we can optimize our training and make the most of our physical abilities.

In short, the VMA is the cornerstone of structured, effective training. We need to measure it, analyze it and optimize it to achieve our goals in the best possible way. Whether to avoid injury or to constantly improve our performance, VMA is inseparable from success in running.