That said, another, better, and more accurate way to look
at your aerobic threshold is by taking lab tests.
The 180 - Formula is a really good «first guess»
at your aerobic threshold, but it's not the be-all, end - all.
Running performance with the compression socks improved at anaerobic threshold 1.5 % and
at aerobic threshold 2.1 %.
For this, we use the MAF Test — a simple running speed test
at the aerobic threshold — in order to track the ups and downs of aerobic speed (and therefore aerobic capacity) across time.
Should I race
at my aerobic threshold or faster?
Not exact matches
Having good
aerobic fitness is about burning fuel efficiently
at moderate levels of intensity, and still being able to put down reasonable power but not incurring an oxygen debt that pushes you above your
aerobic threshold.
In other words, it doesn't tell you anything about your health, only vaguely points
at your anaerobic
threshold (with a series of other calculations) and doesn't consider your
aerobic development
at all.
The importance of training
at or under your
aerobic threshold (
at MAF pace) is that since you are not producing any lactate, your tissue is receiving very little wear and tear: lactate is acidic, meaning that its presence causes tissue to wear down
at an accelerated rate.
My biggest issue is my
aerobic threshold, or the speed
at which I can basically run all day.
The next
threshold is AT (Aerobic Th
threshold is
AT (
Aerobic ThresholdThreshold).
It's also important to note that the
aerobic engine doesn't change from shod to barefoot running: you are still running with the same machinery, and as long as you train under your
aerobic threshold, you are still developing that machinery
at the same rate.
A: Sounds like you need to improve your anaerobic
threshold, the point
at which your body stops relying predominantly on your
aerobic pathways and begins to rely more on your anaerobic systems.
If you want that then that's fine, but if you wan na train
at the
threshold between
aerobic and anaerobic (meaning
at muscles MAF) you have to lower the BPM, getting it lower than the official MAF HR.
People tend to do better
at building strength, hypertrophy, and muscle endurance when the bulk of their conditioning is kept in the
aerobic zone rather than constantly pushing over
threshold.
So, any downturn in your
aerobic speed (
at a heart rate below your
aerobic threshold) is a direct indicator that your
aerobic base is either fatigued or in decline, meaning that your body is
at the moment that much less capable of absorbing the stresses of high - intensity training.
The local
aerobic threshold of these muscles is exceeded
at a lower heart rate than running, resulting in the increased effort.
In every case we've studied, the higher a people's true physiological
aerobic threshold occurs above the value that the 180 - Formula predicts, the faster they are
at an
aerobic heart rate.
At that point it's simply better to to go to a laboratory where you can test your
aerobic threshold to a much greater degree of certainty.
Also, in case you know: (1)
at what heart rate do you reach your
aerobic threshold (not anaerobic
threshold)?
That said, let's say that it turns out that the 180 - Formula does predict your
aerobic threshold relatively closely, and that you've been doing the bulk of your training
at anaerobic intensities.
Let me give you a brief summary: the
aerobic threshold is the highest level of intensity
at which the body can train without triggering a stressed state.
In other words, if you're trying to do «
aerobic training» you need to be just a few beats per minute below your
aerobic threshold, rather than actually
at it.
The mile race pace run can also be divided into shorter timed
AT (
aerobic threshold) run runs - this day is the most flexible week to week, and should be varied frequently to prevent burnout.
But let me be clear: if you train
at or under the
aerobic threshold, particularly for over an hour, you'll still dramatically increase your ability to burn fats.
I do 90 minute sessions
at about 3 % below
aerobic / anaerobic
threshold (avg ~ 85 % of MHR for me, but everyone is different).
The third system being the
Aerobic Oxidative System which consists primarily of exercises that are performed
at an intensity lower than that of the anaerobic
threshold (3).