The Science Of Lance Armstrong

 

I have heard a lot of comparisons between Michael Phelps and Lance Armstrong. I have to admit i don't know too much about swimming but i do know about cycling,particularly Armstrong, here are some of the things that i know. The main reason for Armstrong's dominance in his sport is something most great endurance athletes have in common. Yet when it comes to lance's own individual physiology, he is just nearly superhuman..here's why

 

His genetics for an endurance athlete are nothing short of astounding. Do you know his VO2 

Max measures around 83-85 ml/kg/min, while an average person's is around 40? 

For Lance, his success is attributed to a combination of great training, will, 

desire, and unbelievable genetic makeup

 

He also has a very large heart, his over sized heart can beat over 200 times a minute and thus pump an extraordinarily large volume of blood and oxygen to his legs. His VO2 max—the maximum amount of oxygen his lungs can take in, an important measurement for an endurance athlete is extremely high some of the highest ever recorded. His heart can pump nine gallons of blood per minute, compared to five for the average person. His resting heart rate is only 32!

 

Even though his heart and lungs are something extremely rare he also produces half as much lactic acid and expel it faster, allowing him to ride harder up the Tour's notoriously brutal hills and then recover quickly. With that an average person turns 20 per cent of the oxygen he breathes into muscle power. Armstrong gets 23 per cent -- close to the highest ever recorded in a human. So with each breath he delivers more power to each push of the pedal.

 

Those are just some of the few elements that makes Lance armstrong a super endurance athlete. On top of that is his incredible killer attitude."[He] is on top of the cycling world because of the combination and interaction of his genetic endowment, years of incredible training, competitive experience, and obsessive drive to achieve and persevere.

 

When stricken with cancer at age 25 his doctors told him he had a 40% chance of living, only later to find out the doctors were being kind and in reality he had a 80% chance of death. He was told his after he had recovered to keep his moral up during chemo. The mental and physical torture he went though during his time in the hospital bed, are a part of his mental makeup. surviving cancer almost certainly made Armstrong a stronger athlete mentally. Sports scientists agree that Armstrong is one of the most disciplined and focused athletes in the world.

 

In conclusion his dedication to becoming the best at what he did if it was training miles/hours, endurance rides: 5-6 hrs / 100-130 miles. Or having his body fat at 4.5 percent before the Tour starts, while an average person has 15-20 percent. His food consumption was eating 6500 calories per day, and upwards of 10,000 per day when biking in the mountains during his 120 mile race. In the end Armstrong's body is so unique, if he didn't train at all, he would still be in better physical condition than an average person in top condition. This is why Lance Armstrong isn't superhuman, but closer to it than most.