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Research > Theory to practice - Can endurance athletes self-select anaerobic threshold?
Theory to practice - Can endurance athletes self-select anaerobic threshold?
Issue: Volume 27 Number 4
Background
Coaches and athletes wanting to develop endurance are always interested in measuring and monitoring exercise intensity. Some of the most popular field methods for monitoring endurance training intensity are to use heart rates, power outputs or time splits. However, to be really precise and train athletes effectively, coaches ideally need to be able to measure at what power output, speed, or heart rate an individual athlete’s anaerobic threshold occurs. Recent research from France strongly suggests that coaches of experienced endurance athletes can simply do a 30-minute time trial of their endurance sport to come up with a power output, time split and heart rate that can validly predict anaerobic training pace.
Research
The aim of the French study was to test the ability to estimate the power output and heart rate associated with anaerobic threshold levels by means of a 30-minute individual time trial. Thirteen experienced 20-year-old to 35-year-old triathletes performed an exercise test on a cycle ergometer to measure maximal parameters such as oxygen uptake, power output and heart rate. From this incremental exercise test to exhaustion, each athlete’s individual anaerobic threshold was determined using blood lactate measures. On another day, the subjects completed a 30-minute cycling time trial at self-selected work intensity on a stationary ergometer equipped with SRM cranks for measuring power output. The researchers then looked to see if the power output during the 30-minute time trial at self-selected pace was the same as that determined using the blood lactate measures during the test of anaerobic threshold.
Findings
Highly significant correlations or relationships were observed between the power output in watts recorded during the 30-minute time trial and the power output measured at anaerobic threshold using the blood lactate method of measuring anaerobic threshold (r=0.88; p<0.0001). However, the heart rates during the 30-minute time trial over-estimated threshold heart rate values (by about 15 – 20 beats/minute) compared to the values obtained using the blood lactate method. Interestingly, the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale (6 – 20) suggested an Rating of Perceived Exertion level of 16 (hard – very hard) best represented anaerobic threshold.
Coaches’ takeout
This study strongly suggests that coaches might find a 30-minute time trial swim, ride, run, row, or paddle a useful tool to estimate the anaerobic threshold in order to either monitor changes in anaerobic threshold or determine it for prescribing training intensities.
References
Groslambert , A, Grappe, F, Bertucci, W, PerreyS, Girard, AJ and Rouillon, JD 2004. ‘ A perceptive individual time trial performed by triathletes to estimate the anaerobic threshold: A preliminary study’,
Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness , 44(2):147 – 57.
