Help me understand what O2 saturation tells me about fitness

[Vance in AK]

So I'm just starting to get back in shape for mountain hunting. Background: 59 years old in a couple weeks. 5'6 ish & currently 199.5#. Football player type build (But yes plenty of belly) Started Sept 2018 @ 229 so I have made progress.
Sept-Oct 18 lots of treadmill time & a little strength training. the last couple months back at the treadmill heavy & a little strength training. Want to start ramping up the lifting. First concern has been cardio for a mid May backpack bear hunt thus heavy treadmill use.
My regular treadmill plan is complicated (NOT). Put on 30# pack. 5 min of warmup at 7% grade & 3.8mph. Reset machine, put incline at max (15%), set mph for 4. After 5 min go to 4.2 mph, then at 10 min go to 4.3. At 30 min go to 4.4. Some days at 50 min I am up to 4.7mph. I go a minimum of an hour before cool down all at max incline & with the pack.
Using the Samsung health app on my phone I bagan sort of tracking my heart rate & O2 saturation. My resting hreart rate is between 49 & 54.
It takes me almost 30 min on the tmill to get heart rate into into the mid 130s. Here is yesterdays trends on O2 with pulse at the time.
This is starting about 30 min in & ends with cool down
Resting O2 97%
137bpm 93% (1103am)
143bpm 92% (11:13am)
149bpm 93% (11:30am. End of hard work)
128bpm 95% (11:322am. 2 min into cooldown)
101bpm 96% (11:34am)

Time 1 hour Avg speed 4.2, miles 4.2, elevation gain 3324' (Plus cooldown)

I had to take a 20 min break after cool down for phone call then did 10 min (36 floors on stair climber with same pack. Heart rate at end of 10 min was 130. Didn't ck O2.

Does this bit of info tell anyone anything that might help me focus my training on the cardio end?

Thanks!

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

The more the better, remember, if you're using a pulse oximeter, it's just an estimate, so there's error there. Basically you want to be around 95-100% for optimal, and not below 80%. I don't know if it's a good parameter to measure minute by minute, measurement methods might make whatever data you're getting pretty sketchy. It's more of a physiological measurement than a fitness parameter such as heart rate.

Personally, I think these meters have just been incorporated into fitness monitors because they're cheap and provide a medical-like parameter, but it's probably as useful as measuring your temperature as you work out.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

From your measurements you sound in great shape! Resting HR is great, O2 sat is great, HR during cardio is great! As a health care professional I want to see an O2 sat of 96 or greater (preferably greater), a sat of 80 is a dead man, bed sheets sat at 78. What kind of monitor are you wearing?

4.0 mph at 15 degree incline your legs are flat moving for a shorter fella. I'd say you're workout is great, but just remember you can't out train your diet.

 

[Vance in AK]

Thanks guys.
Dexter, just using the sensor on my Galaxy 9 in Samsung health. Seems to be consistent but not sure on accuracy. Heart rate is close to the sensors on both treadmills I use.
Diet is serious intermittent fasting at least 5 days a week (Either 1 meal a day or 20 hrs fast & 4 hour eating window). The other 2 days I try & do at least 16hr fast & no more than 8 hr window. Probably average 18 & 6 on those days. Trying to eat more quality food & really cut back on sugars.
I was down to 201 by the first of November then did a 3 week trip visiting family & was at 212mid Feb. when I started working at it again.

 

[Mike7]

For use by someone without lung disease, pulse ox seems a little gimicky to me...kind of like the A.fib watches, just an expensive way to check your pulse. You will know when you are developing relative oxygen deficit, because you will have air hunger. You don't have to tell yourself to breathe more vigorously with exertion, rather it just happens.

Some high level endurance athletes who really push their training have used first AM resting HR trends to help guide their training, so this might be more what your looking for?? If you are not ill, and notice an upward trend in this, then you might be over training without enough rest time scheduled each week.

 

[Sportsman]

VO2 max is a test that tells you fitness but you won't do that with a smart phone. Higher end fitness watches approximate it.

I'm not a fan of fasting and exercise. Lean meats, modest carbs for cardio, no processed foods, minimal fried foods, and watch quantities. I'm eating a post supper apple right now because it's healthy and filling at the same time. Balanced diet, no or healthy snacks, and you're workout and you should drop weight.

 

[jorgensen.travis]

I think looking at training in a scientific way is looking for an alternate path to your goal. Hard work, pain and suffering is the only way to improve human performance. The talk of over training is ridiculous. We're talking about walking on a treadmill with 30 pounds for an hour. Any backcountry hunting trip I've been on consists of 50 -60 pounds up hill all day , not on a treadmill. Not trying to be a dick, but if we're talking about walking into the mountains with a weeks worth of stuff and possibly walking out with an animal, we need to be realistic.

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[307]

So I'm just starting to get back in shape for mountain hunting. Background: 59 years old in a couple weeks. 5'6 ish & currently 199.5#. Football player type build (But yes plenty of belly) Started Sept 2018 @ 229 so I have made progress.
Sept-Oct 18 lots of treadmill time & a little strength training. the last couple months back at the treadmill heavy & a little strength training. Want to start ramping up the lifting. First concern has been cardio for a mid May backpack bear hunt thus heavy treadmill use.
My regular treadmill plan is complicated (NOT). Put on 30# pack. 5 min of warmup at 7% grade & 3.8mph. Reset machine, put incline at max (15%), set mph for 4. After 5 min go to 4.2 mph, then at 10 min go to 4.3. At 30 min go to 4.4. Some days at 50 min I am up to 4.7mph. I go a minimum of an hour before cool down all at max incline & with the pack.
Using the Samsung health app on my phone I bagan sort of tracking my heart rate & O2 saturation. My resting hreart rate is between 49 & 54.
It takes me almost 30 min on the tmill to get heart rate into into the mid 130s. Here is yesterdays trends on O2 with pulse at the time.
This is starting about 30 min in & ends with cool down
Resting O2 97%
137bpm 93% (1103am)
143bpm 92% (11:13am)
149bpm 93% (11:30am. End of hard work)
128bpm 95% (11:322am. 2 min into cooldown)
101bpm 96% (11:34am)

Time 1 hour Avg speed 4.2, miles 4.2, elevation gain 3324' (Plus cooldown)

I had to take a 20 min break after cool down for phone call then did 10 min (36 floors on stair climber with same pack. Heart rate at end of 10 min was 130. Didn't ck O2.

Does this bit of info tell anyone anything that might help me focus my training on the cardio end?

Thanks!

It tells you nothing about fitness.

 

[Mike7]

I think looking at training in a scientific way is looking for an alternate path to your goal. Hard work, pain and suffering is the only way to improve human performance. The talk of over training is ridiculous. We're talking about walking on a treadmill with 30 pounds for an hour. Any backcountry hunting trip I've been on consists of 50 -60 pounds up hill all day , not on a treadmill. Not trying to be a dick, but if we're talking about walking into the mountains with a weeks worth of stuff and possibly walking out with an animal, we need to be realistic.

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Resting HR monitoring is simply an example, unlike pulse ox, of how a vital sign may indirectly be a measure of how the body is doing through its complex mechanisms in trying to maintain homeostasis. Like increased HR and decreased temperature might be simple indirect monitors of early acute mountain sickness resulting from increased beta adrenergic tone and vasodilation.

 

[jmden]

When you work hard (anaerobic), O2 sats go down. They would for everyone who's truly working hard for their level of fitness. Resting O2 sats are typically in the 95-99% range. Many folks that are at 100% are hyperventilating because they are freaking out--seen it a thousand times. Sats go down because the circulatory system (heart, lungs, blood vessels, etc.) can't meet the demand you are asking of your body. Prob not good to go below 91% or so, Not completely sure on that number.

220 minus your age is a rough max heart rate. Better to get treadmill tested to find out what your max heart rate really is. Not especially fun, but the only way to know--work harder until your heart rate won't go up anymore. Especially wearing on the body if you are not used to going anaerobic very often and not in shape for that. At 59 that should probably only be done under medical supervision after an ECG has found you have a healthy heart at rest. The 220 - age will work in the meantime. At 47 yo, my max heart rate 'should' be 173, but it's actually in the low 190s, for example...VO2 max training.

Then train for cardio in the 75ish-85% of max heart rate. One or twice a week, go anaerobic (above 85%) for a bit, either in interval training, or just for a few short minutes. This kind of training can help increase your VO2 max which is basically increasing the ability of the body to efficiently use 02. Your entire body (and life) can benefit from this. It increases the work you can do and it's duration, so it's an important part of fitness. I go to max heart rate for a bit about once a week. That way your body can do it when it needs to and it's not a big deal like it would be otherwise and recovery from doing so is quick. Work up to this slowly with medical supervision. Interval training can be important as well to get the body used to going anaerobic under a bigger workload and if done right, can pay dividends aerobically. This basic concept works well for me and has for a long time.

Don't want to overdo and there is certainly such a thing as overtraining. Better to be undertrained than overtrained. Those of us that deal in this area for years know some of the pitfalls of overtraining. Not worth it.

Possibly get with a certified trainer that can monitor your body and vital signs and help guide you.

Keep chuggin' up that hill!! Good for you!

Here's an easy read 'primer' on some of this: https://exercise.lovetoknow.com/abo...rstanding-blood-oxygen-levels-during-exercise

 

[Sportsman]

I think looking at training in a scientific way is looking for an alternate path to your goal. Hard work, pain and suffering is the only way to improve human performance. The talk of over training is ridiculous. We're talking about walking on a treadmill with 30 pounds for an hour. Any backcountry hunting trip I've been on consists of 50 -60 pounds up hill all day , not on a treadmill. Not trying to be a dick, but if we're talking about walking into the mountains with a weeks worth of stuff and possibly walking out with an animal, we need to be realistic.

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He didn't say the OP was overtraining, he said monitoring daily resting HR is a way to see if you are overtraining. And everyone needs rest days.

Personally, I hate a treadmill. I run, not walk with a pack, and even then only when I have absolutely no other options due to weather or available equipment. Easy to tweak something at faster paces and I would worry with and incline and weight on my back.

 

[Vance in AK]

Jorgenson, for me keeping up a pace of between 4.2 and 4.5 mph for an hour with no break at 15% incline with 30#s is work pain and suffering!
My knees dont like running any more and with my short legs thats a good pace. About once a week i do the last 10 min at 4.7mph which is my fastest extremely awkward walk pace. Usually that gets my heart up in the low 160s. 20 years ago i was racing mountain bikes ant training on road bikes and low 190s was not uncommon.
Being in alaska hiking in winter isnt a reality without cross country skiing or snowshoeing neither of which o enjoy so its the gym for me. Backpack pn treadmill and stairclimber will have to do for now.
My question has been answered and now i know that my new toy, the O2 saturation monitor, isnt anything i can really use. Good to know!

I did have a complete set of heart tests including tmill 2 yrs ago and all was good.

Thanks guys

 

[Dexter Grayson]

Thanks guys.
Dexter, just using the sensor on my Galaxy 9 in Samsung health. Seems to be consistent but not sure on accuracy. Heart rate is close to the sensors on both treadmills I use.
Diet is serious intermittent fasting at least 5 days a week (Either 1 meal a day or 20 hrs fast & 4 hour eating window). The other 2 days I try & do at least 16hr fast & no more than 8 hr window. Probably average 18 & 6 on those days. Trying to eat more quality food & really cut back on sugars.
I was down to 201 by the first of November then did a 3 week trip visiting family & was at 212mid Feb. when I started working at it again.

This is almost the exact diet I follow. I've had good success, going from 228lbs to 205lbs in just a few months.

I did 30 minutes on the t-mill this am at 15 degrees at 3.0-3.5 mph my HR was 135-145bpm. 4.0+ would max me out pretty quick, without a 30lb pack.

I think you're on the right track, maybe add in some slower longer hikes/walks. Keep up the good work!