The most important aspect of training and exercise science is how we produce usable energy (ATP) for working muscles. The many assumptions associated with the production and consumption of ATP are often the driving factors in performance diagnostics, training planning, and training guidance. The transportation and utilization of oxygen is the determining factor in ATP production. This recognition led to the famous differentiation between a so-called aerobic and anaerobic energy pathway by Archibald Hill and Otto Meyerhoff (earning them a Nobel Prize).

The topic of Myoglobin often comes up in discussions about Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), especially in fitness applications when it’s desirable to measure muscle oxygenation, and when the oxygen consumption rates can be high and change rapidly. NIRS measures optical absorbance of tissues. Hemoglobin and Myoglobin absorb light nearly identically in the near-infrared region, so NIRS cannot measure their oxygen saturations separately.

The following is a guest blog from Sandy Musson, owner of Trenton, Ontario-based Tri and Run Sports. An avid marathon runner, Sandy is a Certified Pedorthist (C. Ped) and ACE Certified Personal Trainer with specialized training in gait, biomechanics, orthotics, posture and run coaching.

The Hemoglobin and Myoglobin Dissociation Curves, when taken together, represent an important relationship in the delivery of oxygen to exercising muscle. Given that our Moxy Muscle Oxygen Monitor device measures the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin and myoglobin, this relationship is important to understand when interpreting data from Moxy.

The Central Governor Model is frequently mentioned in the Moxy Forum. I find this to be a pretty significant concept to grasp, so I wanted to share a few thoughts on how I think about it.