What "zone" would you call Tabata intervals?
 

...Allen and Coggan put it in zone 7, Neuro-muscular power. I see their point, but I would've put it in VO2.

Your opinions?

there anaerobic no? If so that would be abovec V02

Well it's 20 seconds of full out effort, so I would put it NMP. What's your reasoning for putting it in Vo2?

Since the work/rest periods are so short within the work interval, the metabolic adaptation will be at the level of the average power for the entire work interval. Generally, that falls in the VO2max level.

I figured it was along those lines due to the rest. And my understanding is that it really helps out the Vo2 system, but does the rest period really factor much into it?

So, hypothetically....if you are doing the intervals at(in my power zone case) 380 watts and above, then your 10 seconds of rest are at very low(less than 100w) levels, and you go by the average power of the workout. If the AP ends up falling, say, right in the L3 wattages does that make it a Tempo workout? Or is the workout/rest period generally hard enough that it pretty much always falls into Vo2 because the rest periods bring it down from NMP? And if it does fall in the Tempo, I assume that means you weren't hitting the 20 seconds hard enough.

I've only ever done these in school while running. Never on a bike, so I am unfamiliar with what wattages should be met.

You go by whatever the average power for the total interval actually is (the period you alternated 20 on and 10 off, not including the rest between efforts); so in your case, it works out to a Level 3 effort. Since people tend to do these from 3-6 minutes, in most cases, it works out to a VO2max type intensity, but the actual numbers are what matters.

asgelle is on the right track IMO, averages rule for very short on/off periods.

I am not very familiar with Tabata intervals but from my limited understanding these are just sprints with short recovery periods. It is plausable that the "zone" worked changes during the course of the workout.

Consider, say, the first few sprints of the workout. During these sprints the athletes HR will not reach the same levels as later sprints, the power outputs will be higher, and anaerobic energy stores will be well stocked (NMP like). Late sprints will be at lower power, HR will reach higher levels and will recover less (more like VO2).

Then again, I know little about this stuff so I could be talking out my ass, as usual.

Actually sounds pretty accurate to me. I do the 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off usually.

The intervals 'feel' like, say, 70% VO2, 20% NMP, and 10% Anaerobic capacity. You never really have to deal with the Lactic acid like you would with Anaerobic capacity; and towards the end, you're really breathing like it's a VO2 workout.

Cool, makes sense, thanks.

Do you guys still do 20 on/10 off for 4 minutes?

If done at the correct power level (can't remember the exact proportion of FTP) they are essentially anaerobic efforts and probably NM by nature of the intensity and length of the interval. However I don't believe the rest intervals are near long enough to stimulate maximum NM gains (I can't remember where I heard it...thought it was from Coggan himself...but I have always thought that for workouts aimed at NM gains, rest intervals of 4-7minutes are needed for optimal replacement of CP stores). I am no expert but I think the tabata intervals do aid in improvement of VO2 max more than anything although I have yet to see any peer-reviewed literature to support that they would be more or even as effective at improving VO2 power as say 3-7minute VO2 intervals for TRAINED subjects. All of the literature I have been exposed to represents the effect on essentially sedentary individuals (or at least not trained cyclists as one would expect to see out of a racer). Just my .02
~Nick