What Are The Thresholds Of Training?

Threshold training is a term that describes a method of athletic conditioning used by endurance athletes -- to determine intensity and ultimately improve performance -- when engaging in endurance sports such as cycling, swimming and long distance running. When you see runners check their heart rate monitor mid-stride, they are most likely monitoring their aerobic threshold or trying to keep their pulse between a certain range. The anaerobic or lactate threshold, LT, is a different method of measuring exercise intensity, but may also be gauged by monitoring heart rate.

Aerobic Threshold

Aerobic threshold may be defined as the maximum level at which you're still working in your aerobic zone. According to Joel Friel, M.S., author of "The Triathlete's Training Bible", when trying to optimize training, endurance athletes often attempt to repeatedly stress various physiological systems. For example, when it comes to the aerobic system, athletes may target their aerobic threshold which stresses all the key systems such as lungs and heart. Training at the aerobic threshold is a way to prepare the body to withstand the stress of performing for long periods of time, as in an endurance race. Corerunning.com describes your aerobic threshold as an intensity you could run at for hours on end.

Anaerobic or Lactate Threshold

Sports Fitness Advisor defines lactate threshold in scientific terms, as the point during exercise of increasing intensity, at which blood lactate begins to accumulate above resting levels, where blood lactate levels rise sharply. This can result in muscle pain and fatigue effecting the overall performance of endurance athletes. One easy way to gauge lactate threshold training intensity is by monitoring your heart rate with the assumption that your lactate threshold will occur at 85 to 90 percent of maximum heart rate.

Testing

In addition to monitoring heart rate, there are other testing methods for measuring lactate threshold. Some runners actually use a lactate analyzer and a blood sample, which is obtained with a pin prick on the finger. Measurements are taken at various speeds. The speed where the blood lactate rapidly spikes up is the athlete's lactate threshold. The Conconi test is a measurement of pulse relative to speed. The point at which your pulse increases more slowly than your speed may also be considered your lactate threshold, according to Running Online.

Training

Fitness experts recommend that in order to improve your aerobic threshold, you should run or train just below it a continuous pace for 30 minutes or longer. An additional way to improve the aerobic threshold, is to become more efficient when you train -- or more economical with your oxygen uptake. Training to improve your lactate threshold is best done by running or swimming at or just above your LT pace. Running Online recommends running at or above LT pace for at least 20 to 40 minutes to achieve the most effective results.