THE SHORT ANSWER
Olav Bu, norwegian cycling physiologist, uno-x performance lead, has appeared on the Roadman Cycling Podcast. Here's where Bu lands on VO2 max work. The positions below are drawn from those conversations, quoted directly.
WHO IS OLAV BU?
Olav Aleksander Bu is the sports scientist who turned a small Norwegian triathlon programme into the most replicated coaching template in modern endurance sport. The 'Norwegian Method' — high lactate-threshold volume, daily lactate testing, double-threshold sessions — produced Blummenfelt's Olympic gold, Iden's Ironman world titles, and a generation of imitators across cycling and running. His 2024 move to head coach of Uno-X Mobility makes him one of the few coaches who has run the same testing-driven, individualised approach across both World Tour cycling and elite triathlon.
BU ON VO2 MAX
Bu’s key positions on VO2 max work.
- Threshold work, dosed correctly, is the single highest-leverage intervention for trained endurance athletes — but it requires lactate testing to dose right.
- Individualised lactate response trumps generic zones — two riders at the same FTP can need wildly different threshold prescriptions.
- The Norwegian Method scales — the same testing-led framework that built Olympic triathletes is now driving Uno-X cycling improvements.
- Endurance science has converged across sports — the biggest gains for cyclists now come from triathlon, running, and rowing literature, not cycling-specific research.
- Recovery quality is the rate-limiter — the volume and threshold work only land if sleep, fuelling, and stress are managed at the same level as the training.
IN BU’S OWN WORDS
Verbatim from Olav Bu’s appearances on the podcast.
“What you really are buying into or what you really have to have a buy into is the process the process and methods that is required to get there what does it require in terms of commitment to the everyday training the process everything around there to facilitate that in the best possible way.”
“You might have the best Pros or you might maybe have the best technology you might have the best methods or ability to or you have the best data or instruments or whatever but if you don't leverage that data in a way that resonates with the athletes it's much harder.”
“They don't make sacrifices per se because they don't perceive it as a sacrifice but if you start to make big changes to something then you might end up coming into that situation where you're starting to feel that you're sacrificing maybe ways or things that motivates you when you're working and then that's where you can still become good by just by discipline and pushing somebody all the time but I don't think you will become the best that way.”
HEAR IT ON THE PODCAST
Episodes where Olav Bu covers VO2 max work and related ground.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
What does Olav Bu say about VO2 max work?
Olav Bu, norwegian cycling physiologist, uno-x performance lead, has appeared on the Roadman Cycling Podcast. Here's where Bu lands on VO2 max work. The positions below are drawn from those conversations, quoted directly.
What is Bu's main point on vo2 max?
Threshold work, dosed correctly, is the single highest-leverage intervention for trained endurance athletes — but it requires lactate testing to dose right.
Which Roadman Cycling Podcast episodes cover Olav Bu on vo2 max?
Bu discusses VO2 max work in this episode: "How To Create The Perfect Triathlon Training Plan | Olav Bu".
EXPLORE THE TOPIC
FTP Training— The Complete Guide →OTHER EXPERTS ON VO2 MAX