What is the anaerobic threshold? And why is it so important?
Want to improve your form?
So understanding the concepts of aerobic and anaerobic threshold is essential, as they directly affect the effectiveness of your training sessions.
Depending on the intensity of your efforts, you will indeed not be working on the same things. It is by taking these differences into account that you can really improve your skills at all levels. Let’s study the question together.
Here’s everything you need to know about the anaerobic threshold.
WHAT IS THE ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD?
“The use of this term itself has been somewhat controversial for several years,” says Caroline Varriale , physical therapist for Finish Line Physical Therapy in New York.
The anaerobic threshold is the maximum exercise intensity that can be sustained for an extended period before lactic acid builds up too much in the blood.
Or, in Varriale’s words, “the anaerobic threshold refers to when lactic acid (from the breakdown of glucose during energy production) begins to build up rapidly in the blood.”
Muscles consume glucose in two ways: aerobically, ie when they are oxygenated, or anaerobically, without oxygen. As a general rule, athletes enter the anaerobic threshold when they provide a really intense effort over a very short period, such as a sprint or interval training.
This type of effort requires a large consumption of available energy. But watch out for out of stock! During rest or recovery phases, for example between two interval exercises, your aerobic system recharges and prepares for the next peak in demand.
HOW TO MEASURE YOUR ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD?
The anaerobic threshold is not the same for all athletes. For those who regularly do interval training , the only anaerobic will be much higher and developed than athletes who favor long, constant-intensity workouts (or those who don’t train at all!).
The higher the intensity of your exercises, the more you will work on your anaerobic threshold and your ability to eliminate lactic acid from your body. And the faster you will be, whether running, cycling, or swimming.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM TRAINING WELL ANAEROBICALLY?
When you cross the anaerobic threshold, anaerobic metabolism takes over. Lactic acid begins to build up in your blood, causing muscles to stiffen.
For what ?
because your body can no longer eliminate it fast enough by combining it with other molecules to produce energy. “At this stage, the effort to provide seems more intense and you can feel a burning sensation in the muscles,” says Varriale.
Yes, it hurts and it burns, but the pain doesn’t have to be unbearable either. If you’ve ever trained on the track, such as sprinting 400 meters, you’ve probably hit the anaerobic threshold with every rep.
You’ll recognize the signs easily: you’re out of breath, your heart is pounding, and you’re having trouble carrying on a conversation. And even if you are well trained, you will still have trouble breathing during this type of exercise.
On the other hand, you will gradually gain in speed! In other words, even if the effort is still so painful, you will be more efficient. This means your training is paying off!
AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
“It’s important for athletes to fully understand how the aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways work,” concludes Varriale. “By primarily burning fat stores, the aerobic system provides long-lasting energy.
For an athlete looking to improve their endurance, this is where to start. The anaerobic system can produce energy more quickly during exercises that require intense effort, so it is also very important.
This is why you need to include interval exercises in your training plan, but also sessions requiring less intense and more constant effort .
Don’t neglect recovery days either. Slowness, regularity, speed and recovery: these are the elements you will have to work on to improve your skills, or to win a race, if that is your goal!
