How to increase "low aerobic" load?

My "load focus" is always horrendously low in the "low aerobic" category. But I don't understand how I can possibly increase it.

For example, my January load focus says:

Anaerobic: 149 (right in the middle of the optimal range)
High Aerobic: 692 (waaaay over the optimal range)
Low Aerobic: 15 (waaaaaaaaaaay below the optimal range)

This month, I have done everything from running several 5k's, to mountaineering, to casual hikes with my son.

This last weekend, I did an 11 mile hike, with an average HR of 100. How many Low Aerobic load points did I get for that? 3.

How the heck am I supposed to get my Low Aerobic points up to > 100 when it only gives me 3 points for a 10 mile hike? Am I supposed to do 270 more miles of hiking?

I did a 2 mile light jog yesterday, and got like 100 High Aerboic load points, and 0 Low Aerobic points. So if walking gets me almost no points, and jogging only gets my High Aerobic points, the result is I'm perpetually "severely" low on Low Aerobic points.

  • Found out it's 100% a software issue and there is a beta out to fix it. At least I know I wasn't going crazy!

  • Do you have an update on this? Did a software update fix it for you? 

  • Yes a software update fixed it all. My slow runs show as base again! 

  • I have been recording the Low Aerobic, High Aerobic, Anaerobic scores each day to try and figure out how to increase my Low Aerobic shortage. For example, today is May 18 and I recorded an outdoor jog that included 5 mins in Zone 1 and 16 mins in zone 2.

    However, my Low Aerobic load focus DROPPED from 127 to 94 (a 25% decline).

    The Load Focus period of calculation is April 20 to May 18 so I need to look at the activity I recorded on April 19 to see what has dropped out of the Load Focus calculation.

    On April 19 I recorded just 6 minutes of Zone 2 and none in Zone 1. So on a net basis, I have added 5 mins of Zone 1 and 10 (16-6) minutes of Zone 2 to the Load Focus calculation and yet the calculation is showing a 25% decline in Low Aerobic load. Can anyone make sense of this because I am completely baffled by the Garmin Load Focus calcs.

  • Can anyone make sense of this because I am completely baffled by the Garmin Load Focus calcs.

    Man, it is impossible to do a forensic analysis of this unless you have all the data and the exact Garmin algorithms...

    - the load focus numbers now include a time-decay factor. A workout today will have less weight in the load tomorrow

    - the load calculation is based on TE, which is a combination of peak EPOC by workout and recent training history. The separation of aerobic vs anaerobic is based on HR and work/output kinetics at the interval level, your VO2 Max and resting VO2 estimates, which can change,

    - the low vs high aerobic separation is based on VO2 Max % thresholds

    The most important thing to understand is that all these load, TE, peak EPOC, recovery calculations are based on VO2 Max and resting HR. The key number you control is the HR Max data point.

    The labeling of the workout is based on the TE numbers and can be surprising some time. It doesn't really matter.

    Training zones are just that: to help train towards a certain goal. Whether you actually meet that goal will depend on the peak EPOC calculation, which itself depends on the conditions, your fitness, your fatigue, how much coffee you drank, etc.

    What is important is:

    - to have an accurate HR Max value on the watch (as well as weight and age). Don't trust the HR Max auto detection. Do a field test if you can. Formulas work for many, but can be widely off for some individuals.

    - keep your training balanced by executing workouts across the range of intensities, so that HR and pace data pairs are correctly fed to the watch across intensities. For best accuracy, this would include maximal effort intervals. For example, run at steady pace but as fast as possible for intervals like 15s, 1mn, 5mn, 10mn, 20mn, 1h,). Fartleks runs are great to feed the model beast. Executing the daily suggestions is another way, if you replace the targets with maximal pace.

  • Thanks for the detailed feedback - I have been trying for a month to increase my Low Aerobic load focus with light jogs, brisk hikes, steady bike rides  - and the score keeps going down. So I will just have to content myself with the fact that I am keeping active. I have recently started Fartleks (without knowing that was what they are called) so will see if that helps improve fitness. Cheers, Steve

  • I have recently started Fartleks (without knowing that was what they are called) so will see if that helps improve fitness

    There is no silver bullet workout type to improve fitness, alas... For example, running a 20s sprint in the middle of a long run is good, but will not teach the watch what a sprint interval is for you. You would have to do a dozen of these sprints in a row so that you HR eventually gets close to your HR Max. At this point, the watch will know what HR, HRV and pace data corresponds to a 20s anaerobic interval for you and that will help calculate the peak EPOC the next time you run a random single 20s in the middle of a long run :-)

  • try and figure out how to increase my Low Aerobic shortage

    just spend more time on this forum Slight smile

    Can anyone make sense of this because I am completely baffled by the Garmin Load Focus calcs.

    Does it really matter?  just go out and do what you like Slight smile

    just do efforts below 80%HRMax and it will be BASE (low aerobic points)

  • I'm not surprised by your situation and to me it makes a lot of of sense. Workouts are not just time and distance. There's the individual effort needed and that changes based on how you feel, and your overall health.

    Example: 2 years ago I was running 5 times a week. If I went for an hour long walk, I might not get above 0.7 aerobic effect and I'd get a load of 8. Now I'm too busy to run at all some weeks, and a 20 minute walk nets me 1.2 aerobic and 15 load. It's because of my condition and stress. Which is better for my health? Both! Lol

    If you want to increase your low aerobic, other than the glitch the other guy in the thread had in his software, you gotta keep it base, which is very low hr and for a long time, 45-60 minutes or more to get the load you want, and you have to do it several times. I'm not a trainer but in a week you could do 1 high-aerobic and 1 anaerobic and then 3-5 low aerobic, and the low aerobic might still be the lowest number, but that's ok. 60 minutes of a painfully slow jog might not seem like it's helping, but I always get the best sleep after doing one of those!