![]() Capillaries are the blood vessels or “pipe work” that deliver oxygenated blood to the muscles (where this oxygen can then diffuse out of the blood and into the muscle cells) and remove metabolic byproducts from the muscles, including lactate and CO2. Zone 2 builds capillary density around the Type I fibres. The more mitochondria in the muscle cells, the better for endurance athletes like cyclists. Mitochondria are frequently referred to as “the powerhouse of the cell” and these are the organelles which process oxygen to produce ATP, the body’s energy currency. Training for sustained periods at a Zone 2 level helps to increase mitochondrial density within the Type I (slow twitch) muscle fibres. There are several important physiological benefits to training at this intensity: How effective is training in the Zone 2 range? Next, let’s look at some of the reasons to train within this intensity range… ![]() This makes training in this particular zone is fairly straightforward given the wider wattage/HR range compared to training zones above the second threshold. The key takeaway is that Zone 2 is a range and sharp metabolic changes won’t occur from the lower end of the zone to the upper end. Note that there will generally be slight differences in exact intensity ranges based on whichever value is used. To calculate your FTP or THR, you’ll need to perform the appropriate test protocols, which we discuss in both our Cycling Physiology Guide and on our Cycling Training Zones article.Īpply the following %s to whichever value you choose to use (power, HR or RPE):Īs an example, let’s take an athlete with a 300W FTP, 172BPM THR and a 195BPM MHR: Zone 2 can is most often calculated as a % of a threshold value, commonly Functional Threshold Power or FTP, as well as Threshold Heart Rate (THR), but can be applied to Maximum HR (MHR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) too. ![]() Within a 3-Zone model, Zone 2 from the 6-7 zone scale would fall within Zone 1, I.e. These can also be marked by Ventilatory Threshold 1 (VT1) as the first anchor point and several non-lactate markers as the second (FTP, CP etc). In the 3-zone model, the 2nd “Zone” (or more accurately “domain”) isn’t usually referred to as “Zone 2”, but is the range which sits between two key anchor points used in this model, usually Lactate Threshold 1 and 2 (also known as LT1 and LT2). ![]() It’s a lower intensity training zone that’s a step up from a pure “recovery” intensity (useful for active recovery rides and recovery intervals between high intensity efforts) and one below a “tempo” intensity in the 6-7 zone model: Zone 2 most commonly refers to the 2nd zone in a 6-7 zone scale, often referred to as the Andy Coggan training zones. Let’s try to better get to grips with what Zone 2 is and how it’s calculated, the exact performance benefits it offers and then look at some ideal workouts you can use. With this understanding, Zone 2 is the intensity range you’ll likely be spending the vast majority of your training time in, so it’s a crucial part of your training program to get right. Zone 2 is perhaps the most talked about cycling training zone…īoth the scientific literature and anecdotal evidence from both amateur and professional cyclists suggest that a polarised or pyramidal training models are very often the most optimal means of distributing training intensity to achieve long-term improvements. ![]()
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