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Writer's pictureMoran Sciamama-Saghiv

THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESERVE EXPLAINED

Updated: Oct 27, 2023

IS IT IN YOUR BUDGET?

A person counting money

Physiological budgets exist just the same as monetary budgets exist. The two main differences are that instead of actual money, we use "physiological currencies", and that while you can loan money from someone else, pay by credit, check, or bitcoin, you cannot do so with physiological budgets.


For example, you can regard one heartbeat as if it was one dollar (or any other coin/currency used). In a similar way, you can regard one mL of Oxygen consumed (used) as if it was one dollar. You could also address Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP) as if it was a dollar. Applied to muscle strength production, you could relate to one Newton-meter (Nxm) as one dollar.


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Similar to monetary budgets, we need to take into consideration income and expenses. Accordingly, your operational budget (what you have operate/function with) is the result of subtracting your expenses from your income. For example, if you earn $100,000 per year, and your expenses are $40,000 per year, the remaining operational budget (for anything you are hoping to achieve) is ($100,000 - $40,000) = $60,000 for the upcoming year/budget.


In exercise physiology, the value that represents your maximal ability (highest value) is used as your physiological income, while the value that represents being in the state of rest, represents your minimal physiological expenses (in order to be alive). Thus, your physiological budget is calculated/estimated as your (maximal ability - demands at rest). For example, your physiological budgets using heartbeats as the physiological currency, equals your maximal heart rate (HRmax; bpm, beats per minute) minus your heart rate at rest (HRrest; bpm, beats per minute). Whatever you are "left" with, represents 100% of your physiological budget as it pertains to heartbeats.


We address being at rest as being at 0% intensity, thus being challenged the least possible to be alive (the minimal physiological challenge though physiological work is greater than zero). We furthermore address maximal physiological challenge/effort/exercise as being at 100% intensity (intensity cannot logically exceed 100%). Thus, as a person transitions physiologically from rest to maximal exercise, the physiological challenge increases from 0% to 100%, and the person is utilizing 100% of their physiological budget (their entire budget).


In light of the explanations above, the following equations immerge:

1) (Resting Value + The Reserve) = Maximal Value


2) (Maximal Value - The Reserve) = Resting Value


3) (Maximal Value - Resting Value) = The Reserve


A major conclusion and understanding that further immerges from what we have learned thus far, would be that if a person utilizes a certain extent/percentage of their reserve (budget) that becomes the intensity that their are exercising at (if your not resting, your are exercising). For example, utilizing 30% of the reserve puts a person at 30% intensity. Since rest = 0% intensity and max = 100% intensity, than rest (0%) + 30% = 0+30 = 30% intensity. If you are utilizing the Karvonen Method, than the percentage of the reserved used is in addition to your actual physiological value at rest. If you are utilizing the Max Method, than the percentage of the reserved used added to an absolute zero (the scale begins at zero).


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