jeff tallon wrote:
do all EPO users lop almost 10 minutes off their personal bests in marathons? or is jemima the exception,not the rule? ive read somewhere users can expect about a 6% improvement on high dose EPO and about half that,on micro dosing.wow,it must be some drug !
What follows is a gross over-simplification of the nature of the relationship between hematocrit, power and speed. However, it should help some of you understand what EPO can and can not do. Essentially, donkey's are not turning into thoroughbreds.
For every 1% increase of hct over baseline we see ~ .38%-.62% increase in aerobic power and ~ .14%-.23% increase in speed for a runner. As has been stated by our resident famed Italian coach, elites will get less return on their investment in terms of percent improvement.
Elites: 1% increase in hct over baseline =~ .146% increase in aerobic derived speed
Recreational: 1% increase in hct over baseline =~ .236% increase in aerobi derived speed
(Note that going from 40% to 41% is not a 1% increase over baseline. It is a 2.5% increase given that 1/40 = 2.5%)
Elite: baseline hct of 40% increased to 50% = speed increase of ~ 3.6%
Rec: baseline hct of 40% increased to 50% = speed increase of ~ 5.9%
Elite: 2:09:36 marathon turns into 2:04:55 with 3.6% increase of speed (difference between Clayton and Khannouchi)
Rec: 2:40:00 marathon turns into 2:30:30 with 5.9% increase of speed
Elite: 27:22 10K turns into 26:26 with 25% jump in hct (3.4% increase in speed due to ~5% of contribution being anaerobic) (difference between Rono and Tergat)
Rec: 29:30 10K turns into 27:51 with 25% jump in hct (5.6% increase in speed accounting for anaerobic contribution)
Elite: 7:39 3K turns into 7:24 with 3.1% increase of speed (approximate 15% contribution anaerobic) (essential difference between Keino and Bekele or Geb)
Rec: 8:30 3K turns into 8:00 with 5.9% increase of speed
Elite: 3:33 1500 turns into 3:27 with 25% increase in hct (approximate 25% contribution anaerobic) (difference between Ryun and Morceli)
Rec: 3:50 1500 turns into 3:39-40 with 25% increase in hct.