While thresholds provide valuable insight into our physiological state, they aren't fixed points. They shift daily based on numerous factors:
- Accumulated fatigue
- Hydration status
- Sleep quality
- Nutritional state
- Stress levels
- Environmental conditions
This reality highlights one of the major limitations of traditional threshold testing—it only gives you a snapshot of your physiology on a single day. What if you're testing after a poor night's sleep or during a particularly stressful week?
The Moxy Monitor Advantage: Real-Time Intensity Feedback
This is where Moxy Monitor offers a distinct advantage. Unlike traditional testing methods that only provide threshold data during specific testing sessions, Moxy gives you real-time feedback on your muscle oxygenation status during every workout.
By watching your SmO2 responses during training, you can:
- Start with an estimation of your zones based on initial testing
- Train close to those thresholds to maximize specific adaptations
- Adjust intensity in real-time based on how your muscles are actually responding that day
If your SmO2 response indicates you're above your second threshold when you should be below it, you can immediately adjust your intensity. This daily fine-tuning allows you to consistently train in the optimal zones regardless of how your physiological state may have shifted.
Practical Application: Using Moxy to Optimize Your Training Intensity
Here's a simple approach to using Moxy Monitor for threshold-based training:
- Conduct a baseline assessment to identify your SmO2 breakpoints
- Establish your training zones based on these breakpoints
- During each workout, monitor SmO2 patterns to confirm you're in the intended zone:
- Zone 1 (below first threshold): SmO2 rises or remains stable
- Zone 2 (between thresholds): SmO2 drops, then stabilizes
- Zone 3 (above second threshold): SmO2 continuously drops
- Adjust intensity as needed to maintain the appropriate SmO2 pattern
This approach ensures you're always training at the right relative intensity for your current physiological state—not based on a threshold number from two weeks ago that may no longer be accurate.
Moxy allows you to take your training to the next level!
With Moxy Monitor, we can take training further by observing our muscle oxygenation in real-time, making training more responsive and individualized than ever before.
This real-time feedback loop allows you to find the optimal training stimulus every single day, regardless of how our thresholds may have shifted.
Moxy brings laboratory-quality physiological assessment to your regular training environment and gives you a reliable, repeatable tool to adjust your training in real time. Ready to take your training to the next level?
Download the Training and Racing with Moxy eBook below to learn more about effective training and racing with Moxy Monitor.
