If you exercise, you have probably heard about measuring your heart rate to determine the intensity of your workout. The terms "aerobic" and "anaerobic" describe types of exercise. They also relate to your heart rate, and are the only way to tell which zone you're in, unless you are being monitored in a sports clinic. Monitor the information your body tells you about your performance for an idea of your progress, and even to help you improve at certain activities.
Heart Rate
Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Subtract your age from 220 if you're a man, and 226 if you're a woman to find your maximum heart rate. All heart rate calculations are based upon this number. Take your pulse on your wrist or the side of your neck, and count the number of beats in six seconds. Multiply that number by 10 to get a rough idea of your heart rate.
Aerobic Threshold
Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.65 to find your aerobic threshold. This is the point where your body begins using stored fuel instead of oxygen to power your muscles. Below that rate, your body takes in oxygen, uses the energy, and produces water and carbon dioxide as waste. Once you get your heart rate up to 65 percent of your max, you cannot take in enough oxygen to meet your body's demands, so it must supplement it with stored energy, producing lactic acid as waste. You are still working aerobically, but you are beginning to move into anaerobic territory.
Anaerobic Threshold
Your anaerobic threshold is between 80 and 90 percent of your maximum heart rate. Only a lab measurement can give you an accurate reading, but athletes tend to have higher anaerobic thresholds than nonathletes. The anaerobic threshold is the point where your body is working almost entirely from stored energy, because your intake simply cannot match the demand. Lactic acid begins to accumulate in your muscles, helping you burn fat. Athletes train to increase their maximum oxygen intake capacity, so they are able to meet their body's oxygen needs for a longer period of time.
Activities
Endurance athletes normally train around the aerobic threshold, while speed athletes train above it. The aerobic zone is where you should train for sports like cross-country running or marathon running, where you must maintain a constant pace for a long period of time. It trains your body to take in and use oxygen more efficiently. The anaerobic zone is useful for sprinters and other athletes who must move extremely quickly for a short period of time, because it trains the muscles to contract quickly and efficiently. In other words, distance athletes work aerobically while speed athletes work anaerobically. A highly trained athlete will have higher threshold than the average person because of training, but the mechanism is the same.
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