Aerobic or anaerobic zone? Look at the pictures!

Hello,

Can you help me because I don't understand these screens :(

How is it possible that I spend most of my running in the highest heart rate zone but training effect shows that I spend most of the time in aerobic heart rate zone?

What am I missing here? :(

Thanks for your suggestions! ;) ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1346845.png ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1346846.png
  • Anaerobic TE requires very high (I think >95% of max HR) short duration intervals. If you did 45 minutes in zone 5, I'm assuming you were doing this around lactate threshold (which is generally 90-92%) - LT is not really high enough to generate anaerobic TE.

    TE seems to classify LT work as being aerobic.
  • Well... thanks for your answer but.... I still don't get it :(

    I'm 42 years old
    According to the watch my LT is around 162 so most of the running was zone 5 - maximum as I understand?

    I understand it that zone 5 means that I'm in anaerobic zone, isn't it?
    :)ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1346878.jpg
  • Right, but what mcalista is saying is that if you spent most of that time in the lower part of zone 5, close or around you lactic threshold, in your case for example at 162-165, then it will still qualify as aerobic training, especifically "improving your lactic threshold training", and yet still be in zone 5 for most of the time.

    You have to get closer to your maximum HR to get into anaerobic training effect, such as when you to high intensity interval training.

    I can vouch for this since when I do steady pace running, I usually run at around my lactic threshold, and get mainly an aerobic training effect value and no anaerobic. But most of the time for cardio I prefer to do HIIT on the treadmill instead, and hit on the peaks of each sprint 96-98% maxHR (well passed my lactic threshold), and then I do get an anaerobic effect for those workouts.

    You could try this and see what result you get, for example do 90sec high intensity runs targeting above 95% of your maxHR, followed by 90 sec recovery periods walking to come down to 70%maxHR. Repeat the cycles for 30 minutes and see the result on your anaerobic training effect.
  • I would say that your zones are wrong. It should not be possible run for more that 5-10 minutes in zone 5.
  • I would say that your zones are wrong. It should not be possible run for more that 5-10 minutes in zone 5.


    It should be possible to run for 30 minutes continuously at lactate threshold. Zone 5 starts at the lactate threshold.

    So if you can stay in the very low end of zone 5, you can run continuously for 30 minutes in zone 5. And then perhaps later during the same run, you can run for another 15 minutes in the very low end of zone 5.
  • Well, look at the next screen from the run then - it wasn't a "very low" end of zone 5 and it took quite some time....

    The average of the whole run was 170!
    Again my LT is 162 or of you want to use my max heart rate from age it still is 178

    I would say that your zones are wrong.
    So what it should be?

    So I still don't understand - how hard/high should I train to get into anaerobic zone :pciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1347019.png
  • Firstly, one should review max and threshold pulse. The age formula is not good enough. My measured max heartrate is - as an example - 16 beats lower than my actual max heartrate. If I would use the age formula I would also spend too much time in zone 5. LT assessment from the watch may also be inaccurate. Secondly, zones may be set individually, but usually time to exhaustion is some 10 to 20 minutes in z5. Threshold heartrate is often defined as the heartrate you can maintain during one hour of max effort, typically around 85% of your max HR. Thirdly, you can go anaerobic only for a minute, or so. So to train your anaerobic system you need to do short high intensity intervals. I often get a good anaerobic training effect when I do "speed play" with hill runs on my bike, short bursts of all out efforts with rapid increase in altitude and heartrate, followed by steady state biking for a couple of minutes.

    If you do steady state running, even at or just above LT, you do not activate the anaerobic system.

    So, make sure that you have your personal (correct) max and threshold pulse, and do high intensity short intervals to train the anaerobic system.
  • Well, look at the next screen from the run then - it wasn't a "very low" end of zone 5 and it took quite some time....

    The average of the whole run was 170!
    Again my LT is 162 or of you want to use my max heart rate from age it still is 178

    So what it should be?

    So I still don't understand - how hard/high should I train to get into anaerobic zone :p



    OK, I see with your last photo, as was mentioned, the problem is that you are doing high intensity work but at steady pace rhythm, that is why its not giving you anaerobic training effect, you are working out very hard yes but not being productive for the anaerobic system, to improve that you need to work at that intensity but via interval training, whether its sprints or fartlek/speed-play. Then it will give you credit for improving the anaerobic system.

    See bellow for example, training both the lactic threshold and the anaerobic system on the treadmill. To get an idea of the intensity, I'm 46 with a LT at 161. You can try something like that, it should be easier than that workout you posted, and check the result you get.

    It's 5 min progressive speed warm up, then 8 series of 90 sec to max and 90 sec recovery walking, then 15 minutes of steady pace hovering around my lactate threshold at the bottom of zone 5.

    But the last 15 min is not even needed for anaerobic effect. Since I do this right after a 60-75 min strengthening workout session, I may skip those last 15min depending on how tired I feel.

    ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1347151.jpg
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 6 years ago
    It should be possible to run for 30 minutes continuously at lactate threshold. Zone 5 starts at the lactate threshold.

    So if you can stay in the very low end of zone 5, you can run continuously for 30 minutes in zone 5. And then perhaps later during the same run, you can run for another 15 minutes in the very low end of zone 5.


    I thought lactate threshold started at 85% of MHR, and could be higher depending on fitness level.