THE THRESHOLD THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
Contrary to its name, the anaerobic threshold (AnT) is more of an indication of a person's aerobic fitness. The anaerobic threshold is defined as the highest sustainable exercise intensity that you can supply 100% of the energy demand via aerobic energy production alone (oxygen consumption or oxygen uptake).
The anaerobic threshold represents a metabolic rate at which lactate production is equal to lactate disposal. As a reminder, while lactic acid is created within the cell, lactate is the buffered form measure in the blood stream. Since it is much easier to measure in blood, than within the cell, we use lactate rather than lactic acid, to define the occurrence of a person's anaerobic threshold. The basic assumption is that any molecule of lactate in blood, originates from lactic acid buffered and disposed to the blood stream.
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The greater the oxygen delivery and extraction into the cells, and the less pyruvate molecules left without oxygen being supplied to, the less acidic conditions will exist in the cells, especially muscle fibers. In other words, as indicated in other blog post, the greater a person's capacity to supply their cells with sufficient amount of oxygen, the less lactic acid produced, and the better chances of better performance.
The anaerobic threshold is actually the result of the relationship between two rates mentioned before: acid production rate vs acid buffering/disposal rate. Naturally, three possible balances exist 1) Creation is lesser than buffering/disposal capacity; 2) Creation is equal to buffering/disposal capacity; 3) Creation is greater than buffering/disposal capacity.
Onset Blood Lactate Accumulation (OBLA) represents the concentration of lactate (mmol/L) at which the second balance occurs (lactate creation is equal to buffering/disposal capacity). OBLA usually occurs at a lactate concentration of about 4 mmol/L, yet not at the same percentage of HRmax, VO2max, RVO2max, or movement speed in comparison between different people.
The first balance bears the meaning that acidity cannot be "blamed" for any inability to sustain aerobic function/activity, since any acid created is immediately buffered and disposed of. The second balance also bears the meaning that acidity cannot be "blamed" for any inability to sustain aerobic function/activity, since any acid created is immediately buffered and disposed of. Yet, the third balance bears the meaning that acidity may become more and more the reason for the inability to sustain aerobic function/activity, since more and more acids are created but are not buffered nor disposed of.
In other words, knowing your anaerobic threshold, at which heart rate it occurs, or at which movement pace/speed it occurs, is immensely important to the strategic planning of aerobic competitors. The idea of the anaerobic threshold, naturally creates three zones that bear meaning to the aerobic competitor: 1) Under the competitor's anaerobic threshold, they should be able to (theoretically) sustain their movement "for ever" without being able to say that acidity caused them to stop.
2) Exactly at the competitor's anaerobic threshold, they should still be able to (theoretically) sustain their movement "for ever" without being able to say that acidity caused them to stop. 3) Above the competitor's anaerobic threshold, acidity becomes more and more a possible reason they will not be able to sustain the activity, the more they rise above their anaerobic threshold.
The immediate application of knowing your anaerobic threshold is to long distance aerobic activities, relaying on aerobic endurance as the main aerobic fitness component. The competitor must know what is the greatest speed they can constantly move and still reach the end point competitively. In addition, any increase in movement speed, means going above the anaerobic threshold, thus should be considered carefully and strategically. For example, the decision of when to pass another competitor, and the time it might cause you to stay above your anaerobic threshold, should be analyzed and considered carefully.
Accelerating too early and for too long, might work against you, as staying above your anaerobic threshold, and too much above it, can negatively influence your competitive performance and may even cause you to lose the competition.
Since the anaerobic threshold is an indication of aerobic fitness, its occurrence is usually presented in percentage of a person's maximal aerobic capacity (uptake; RVO2max). The more "delayed" a person's anaerobic threshold is, the later it occurs, the higher the speed and heart rate it occurs at, the higher percentage of RVO2max it occurs at, and the better the chances of the competitor are.
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An untrained person's anaerobic threshold occurs around 50-60% of their RVO2max, while an athlete's anaerobic threshold occurs at 75% of their RVO2max or higher. In terms of maximal heart rate (HRmax, bpm), an untrained person's anaerobic threshold occurs around 60-70% of their HRmax, while an athlete's anaerobic threshold occurs at 80% of their HRmax or higher.
To put all this in terms of running a marathon, the three best competitive performances (record-eligible) are as follows: First best: Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya, total time of 2:01:09, at a pace of 4:37.2 per mile (1.61 Kilometers), Berlin 2022; Second best: Kelvin Kigput from Kenya, total time of 2:01:25, at a pace of 4:37.8 per mile, London 2022; Third best: Kenenisa Bekele from Ethiopia, total time of 2:01:41, at a pace of 4:38.5 per mile, Berlin 2019.
Please note: a marathon is 42.195 kilometers long or 26 miles and 385 yards long.
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