Zone 2 Training Testing in Santa Cruz

Zone 2 training has become central to both elite endurance training and health/longevity protocols, supported by decades of exercise physiology research:

• Mitochondrial Adaptations (The Key):
  • • Mitochondrial Biogenesis: Zone 2 training stimulates PGC-1α (master regulator), triggering creation of NEW mitochondria in muscle cells
  • • Mitochondrial Density: More mitochondria = more "cellular power plants" = greater aerobic capacity. Can increase mitochondrial volume 40 to 50% with consistent Zone 2 training
  • • Mitochondrial Efficiency: Existing mitochondria become more efficient at producing ATP from fat and oxygen
  • • Health Implication: Mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to aging, metabolic disease, and declining fitness. Zone 2 training is THE most effective exercise intensity for mitochondrial health
• Fat Oxidation Capacity:
  • • Zone 2 maximizes fat burning as primary fuel source
  • • Trained athletes can burn 1.0 to 1.5 grams fat per minute in Zone 2 (vs. 0.3 to 0.6 g/min untrained)
  • • Spares muscle glycogen for high-intensity efforts
  • • Critical for ultra-endurance events where glycogen stores are limited
  • • Metabolic flexibility: ability to switch between fat and carb metabolism efficiently
• Capillarization:
  • • Zone 2 training increases capillary density in muscles by 20 to 40%
  • • More capillaries = better oxygen delivery and waste removal
  • • Improves nutrient delivery during exercise
• Lactate Clearance:
  • • Improves ability to clear lactate even when it's produced at higher intensities
  • • Enhances lactate shuttle (muscles using lactate as fuel)
  • • Increases MCT1/MCT4 transporters for moving lactate
• Cardiovascular Adaptations:
  • • Increases stroke volume (blood pumped per heartbeat)
  • • Lowers resting heart rate
  • • Improves cardiac efficiency
  • • Enhances autonomic nervous system function

Zone 2 training serves two overlapping but distinct populations:

• For Endurance Athletes (Performance):
  • • Builds aerobic base that all other training sits on top of
  • • Allows high training volume without excessive fatigue
  • • Improves fat oxidation for endurance events (marathons, ultra-running, Ironman, century rides)
  • • Elite endurance athletes do 75 to 85% of training in Zone 1 to 2 (polarized training)
  • • "More is more" for Zone 2-you can do hours per week
• For Health & Longevity (Metabolic Fitness):
  • • Peter Attia / Iñigo San-Millán Protocol: 3 to 4 hours per week of Zone 2 cardio for optimal healthspan
  • • Metabolic Health: Improves insulin sensitivity, glucose regulation, metabolic syndrome markers
  • • Cardiovascular Protection: Reduces all-cause mortality risk. VO₂ max is strongest predictor of longevity, and Zone 2 training is the most sustainable way to maintain it
  • • Mitochondrial Health: Counteracts mitochondrial decline with aging
  • • Weight Management: High fat oxidation supports body composition goals
  • • Low Injury Risk: Easy intensity means low orthopedic stress-sustainable long-term

Popularized by Dr. Peter Attia and Dr. Iñigo San-Millán (exercise physiologist for UAE Team Emirates cycling), the "Zone 2 prescription" for health:

• Recommended Volume: 3 to 4 hours per week minimum, 4 to 6 hours optimal for health and longevity
• Session Structure: 45 to 90 minute continuous sessions, 3 to 4 times per week
• Intensity Control: Blood lactate 1.7 to 2.0 mmol/L (San-Millán's definition), or heart rate below VT1. Must STAY in Zone 2-going harder defeats the purpose
• Why This Volume: Sufficient stimulus for mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolic adaptation. Less than 3 hours per week provides minimal mitochondrial benefit. More than 6 hours offers diminishing returns for non-athletes
• Modalities: Any sustained aerobic activity-running, cycling, rowing, incline walking (Zone 2 for obese/deconditioned), swimming, cross-country skiing
• Complement With: Resistance training 2 to 3 times per week and occasional VO₂ max intervals (once per week) for complete health optimization

Our Testing Provides: The precise heart rate range for true Zone 2 work based on your physiology, not generic formulas. Most people training by feel or formula are working too hard and missing the mitochondrial adaptations.

Elite endurance athletes follow "polarized" training distribution:

• 80% of Training: Zone 1 to 2 (below VT1)-easy aerobic work
• 20% of Training: Zone 4 to 5 (threshold and VO₂ max)-hard intervals
• Almost Nothing in Zone 3: The "grey zone" or "no man's land" between easy and hard. Too hard to build aerobic base, too easy to drive high-end adaptations

The Problem Without Testing: Most recreational athletes accidentally invert this-they do 50 to 60% of training in Zone 3 (moderate/tempo). Easy runs are too hard, hard workouts are not hard enough. This is the LEAST effective distribution.

Testing Fixes This: Know your VT1 (upper limit of Zone 2) and VT2 (threshold). Keep 80% of training below VT1, 20% at or above VT2. Avoid the middle.

We determine Zone 2 through VT1 (first ventilatory threshold) identification:

• Testing Protocol:
  • • Start at easy warm-up pace
  • • Increase intensity every minute
  • • Continuous breath-by-breath analysis of oxygen consumption and CO₂ production
  • • Heart rate monitored throughout
• VT1 Identification:
  • • VT1 is the point where ventilation (breathing rate) begins to rise faster than oxygen consumption
  • • Marks transition from purely aerobic to mixed aerobic/anaerobic metabolism
  • • Corresponds to ~2.0 mmol/L blood lactate (if measured)
  • • Heart rate at VT1 becomes upper boundary of Zone 2
• Zone 2 Range:
  • • Lower Boundary (Zone 1/2 border): Approximately 60 to 65% of heart rate reserve-very easy effort
  • • Upper Boundary (Zone 2/3 border): Heart rate at VT1-typically 70 to 82% max HR but highly individual
  • • Target Zone 2: Middle to upper portion of range for optimal training stimulus
• Equipment-Specific Zones: If tested on bike, get cycling Zone 2 heart rate and power zones. If tested on treadmill, get running Zone 2 heart rate and pace
• Accuracy: Heart rate at VT1 is 95%+ accurate compared to lactate blood testing, making it the gold standard non-invasive method

Most athletes do Zone 2 wrong:

• Training Too Hard: The #1 mistake. Ego or competitive group dynamics push "easy" runs into Zone 3. Heart rate creeps 10 to 15 bpm above Zone 2 ceiling. Result: Chronic fatigue, inadequate recovery, poor adaptation
• Using Generic Formulas: "220-age × 0.70" or similar. These can be wrong by 15 to 25 bpm. Some 45-year-olds have max HR of 190, others 165. Formula puts them in wildly incorrect zones
• Not Enough Volume: Doing 30 to 40 minutes twice per week. Insufficient stimulus for mitochondrial adaptation. Need 3+ hours per week minimum
• Inconsistent Intensity: Letting heart rate drift up and down. Spend 20 minutes below Zone 2, then surge into Zone 3 on hills. Need to hold steady in zone
• All Easy, No Hard: Opposite mistake-doing ONLY Zone 2 and never training threshold or VO₂ max. Athletes plateau. Need polarized distribution (80% easy, 20% hard)
• Ignoring Environmental Factors: Heart rate drifts 5 to 10% higher in heat, at altitude, when fatigued. May need to slow pace to stay in Zone 2 heart rate
• Cardiac Drift Not Understood: In sessions longer than 90 minutes, heart rate rises 5 to 15 bpm even at constant pace (dehydration, core temp). This is normal-maintain effort, don't slow down to keep HR from drifting

How to implement Zone 2 based on training history:

• Beginners (0 to 2 years training):
  • • Start: 2 to 3 hours per week, 3 sessions of 40 to 60 minutes
  • • Zone 2 may feel VERY slow-walking for obese/deconditioned is often Zone 2
  • • Focus: Consistency over speed. Build habit of regular aerobic exercise
  • • Progress: Add 10 to 15 minutes per week until hitting 4 to 5 hours per week
  • • Most important: Avoid going too hard. Stay patient
• Intermediate (2 to 5 years consistent training):
  • • Target: 4 to 6 hours per week Zone 1 to 2
  • • Session length: 60 to 120 minutes
  • • Weekly structure: 3 to 4 easy days, 1 to 2 hard days (threshold or intervals), 1 to 2 rest/cross-training
  • • Long run/ride: 90 to 150 minutes once per week, all Zone 2
• Advanced / Competitive (5+ years training):
  • • Volume: 6 to 12+ hours per week Zone 1 to 2
  • • Session length: 90 to 180+ minutes for long sessions
  • • Double days: Morning easy run + evening easy spin
  • • Strict adherence to zones: Easy is EASY, hard is HARD, nothing in middle
  • • Retest every 8 to 12 weeks to update zones as fitness improves

Applying Zone 2 training:

• Marathon Training: 75 to 85% of weekly mileage in Zone 1 to 2. Long runs entirely in Zone 2 (except maybe last few miles at marathon pace). Easy recovery runs day after hard workouts
• Ultra-Marathon / Ironman: 85 to 90% of training in Zone 1 to 2. Event will be run mostly in Zone 2, so need massive aerobic capacity. Build to 8 to 15+ hours per week
• Cycling / Century Rides: Zone 2 rides for base building. Long weekend rides 2 to 4 hours at Zone 2 power. Fat oxidation critical for 5+ hour events
• Weight Loss: Zone 2 maximizes fat burning. 4 to 6 hours per week Zone 2 cardio + resistance training. Sustainable long-term, low injury risk
• Health / Longevity: 3 to 4 hours per week minimum. Any modality. Focus: mitochondrial health, cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health
• CrossFit / HIIT Athletes: Often neglect Zone 2. Adding 2 to 3 sessions per week improves recovery capacity and work capacity
• Return from Injury: Zone 2 training allows volume without excessive stress. Build back fitness safely

How to know if Zone 2 training is working:

• Pace at Same Heart Rate Improves: Example: 3 months ago, Zone 2 heart rate = 9:00/mile pace. Now Zone 2 heart rate = 8:30/mile. Same effort, faster pace = aerobic improvement
• Heart Rate at Same Pace Decreases: Running same 8:00/mile pace now elicits 10 bpm lower heart rate. Improved aerobic efficiency
• Lower Resting Heart Rate: Drops 5 to 10 bpm over 3 to 6 months of consistent Zone 2 training
• Faster Recovery: Heart rate returns to baseline quicker after hard efforts. HRV (heart rate variability) improves
• Can Sustain Longer Efforts: 90-minute Zone 2 run that felt exhausting now feels easy
• Better Fat Oxidation: Can go longer before needing to fuel. Feel less reliant on carbs
• Retest VO₂ Max: VT1 occurs at higher absolute heart rate and higher percentage of VO₂ max. Zone 2 "shifts up"

Sport-specific Zone 2 applications:

• Running: Easy runs, long runs, recovery runs. Test on treadmill to get running-specific zones. Heart rate ~5 to 10 bpm higher running vs. cycling
• Cycling: Base miles, endurance rides, active recovery spins. Test on bike to get cycling power zones and heart rate. Can handle higher volume due to non-impact
• Triathlon: Zone 2 work in all three disciplines. Bike and swim can go longer (less impact) vs. run
• Rowing / Nordic Skiing: Full-body Zone 2. Can test on rower. Often feel harder at same heart rate due to upper body involvement
• Hiking with Pack: Incline walking with weight often puts deconditioned into Zone 3 to 4. Use heart rate monitor to control intensity

VO₂ Max Test with Zone 2 Analysis: $250

What's Included:

• • Complete VO₂ max assessment
• • VT1 identification (defines Zone 2 upper boundary)
• • VT2 identification (lactate threshold)
• • Five training zones with heart rate ranges
• • Zone 2 heart rate range and corresponding pace/power
• • Same-day results with detailed training recommendations
• • Zone 2 training protocol guidance

Retesting: Every 12 to 16 weeks as fitness improves. Your Zone 2 heart rate will shift upward as aerobic capacity improves, allowing faster Zone 2 pace.

Fit Evaluations
311 Soquel Ave
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Behind Hindquarter restaurant (second entrance off Dakota St.)

Phone: 831-400-9227
Email: info@fitevals.com