🤔 Something that the CrossFit methodology is overlooking?
A new overview study looked at the effects of training intensity on gains in cardiovascular fitness (VO2max).
They included ca. 6000 participants over 50 years of data analysis.
The data suggests that training at super high intensity, way above your threshold capacity, initially increases VO2max the most, but then leads to a clear plateau when compared to training at lower intensity (endurance training, ET or high-intensity interval, HIT).
A big factor in VO2max is how much oxygen the heart, blood vessels, and red blood cells can deliver to the working muscles. Always training at very high intensity might slow down the growth of small blood vessels (capillaries), which usually increase with more lower intensity training (see slide 4).
For beginner CrossFit (or any functional fitness) athletes, this isn’t really a big concern. In fact, high-intensity workouts are the most effective way for beginners to quickly improve their fitness, which is part of why the CrossFit approach works so well.
However, for more advanced athletes doing 4-6 WODs per week, this data becomes important. I see too many people always training at high intensity without doing any quality work at lower intensities, like steady-state cardio on the rower or EMOMs focused on improving movement technique. This can lead to performance plateaus due to inefficient training.
🔗 Link to paper: PMID: 39390310 – clickable link via YouTube where I discuss these concepts in great detail (please consider subscribing).
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