I have opened earlier a thread concerning Merckx' 1975 ergometer test at a Sporthochule in Cologne in which he produced 455 watts for one hour.
Sometimes one reads that Merckx had a VO2 max of 77 ml/mn.kg, which of course looks ridiculously low.
I was wondering if in fact that 77 ml figure did not come from that 1975 test as a value of 77 ml would seem about right for a 73 kg athlete producing 455 watts.
455 watts for 77ml/min.kg times 73 kg = 5.6 liters/min.
455 watts at 5.6 liters/min corresponds to 81 watts per liter/min.
Almost exactly the same value as obtained by Coyle on Armstrong in Nov 99 ( or was it nov 97? have to check) Anyway it was 404 watts at 5 l/mn. (80.8 vs 81.2)
Almost exactly the same value as obtained on Museeuw on his 6 january 2003 test at Leuven and published on internet by Quick step (81.1 watts per l/mn).
On that day Museeuw's VO2 max was 75.4 ml/mn.kg and his weight 81kg. However the test was first meant to determine his lactate threshold.
Anyway, if anybody knows anything about that 1975 test in Cologne, please let us know.
Sometimes one reads that Merckx had a VO2 max of 77 ml/mn.kg, which of course looks ridiculously low.
I was wondering if in fact that 77 ml figure did not come from that 1975 test as a value of 77 ml would seem about right for a 73 kg athlete producing 455 watts.
455 watts for 77ml/min.kg times 73 kg = 5.6 liters/min.
455 watts at 5.6 liters/min corresponds to 81 watts per liter/min.
Almost exactly the same value as obtained by Coyle on Armstrong in Nov 99 ( or was it nov 97? have to check) Anyway it was 404 watts at 5 l/mn. (80.8 vs 81.2)
Almost exactly the same value as obtained on Museeuw on his 6 january 2003 test at Leuven and published on internet by Quick step (81.1 watts per l/mn).
On that day Museeuw's VO2 max was 75.4 ml/mn.kg and his weight 81kg. However the test was first meant to determine his lactate threshold.
Anyway, if anybody knows anything about that 1975 test in Cologne, please let us know.