Hey guys, yesterday I did a lab test to obtain my aerobic threshold. It went well, but I was surprised at my results. I expected my aerobic threshold to be around 130-140, as that feels super easy for me and i can go on several hours at that heart rate at slow miles (but haven’t improved pace 🙁 ). If this matters, I probably could have kicked the intensity up one more time and gone for another 3 minute round. So I anticipate my max hr is higher than where we stopped (189 bpm)
PHOTOS OF LAB RESULTS (3 photos): https://imgur.com/a/AcmuUXM
Training Background:-Currently 31, male, 170lb, 5’11”-Active growing up. Went “hard” at everything I did (that’s how you get better, right? /s). Went to a military college, same deal. All runs and workouts were typically all out. I was probably well above aerobic threshold in everything I did. Including lifting! I powerlifted during college, but we also had lots of other workouts, that at the time I thought were “aerobic” (they probably were aerobic for others, but not me with my low aerobic threshold! That being said, I could typically keep up)
-Few years after graduating found Maffetone. Thought it made everything click and make sense. From then on, on and off over the last few years, I would do mostly easy runs and a long run at a heart rate between 130-145. Would always drop it after several to a few months over lack of progress. Perhaps I was going too fast, based upon my lab results. Built up to 20 miles/week on a few occasions, and 30 miles/week once. These miles were typically done at a pace of 15:00-16:00 miles to keep my heart rate 130-145.
Questions:
-So my Aerobic Threshold should be about 111 bpm? If so, I will spend a few months doing my workouts/walking below that heart rate
-Why can I still nose breathe and talk fine at like 140 bpm?
-The test was done in a cool indoor lab. Outside conditions are often more hot and humid, which can have a big effect on heart rate. Should I alter/lower my intensities to maintain heart rate targets? In other words, does the Aerobic Threshold shift to the right on the x axis during increased temperature and humidity?
-Do my results and training background explain why I have seemingly not really improved anything from 400m to 5k fast pace, to breathing hard going up a few flights of stairs, to pace ran during “easy” runs (my easy runs honestly felt easy, but my heart rate was usually in the 130-145 range. Just didn’t get much faster at those heart rates over time)
-Would my low aerobic threshold/poor aerobic fitness potentially cause general fatigue, higher blood pressure? Just curious on the crossovers for health vs poor aerobic fitness.
-Being that my aerobic threshold is so low (I believe 111 bpm)…. why wouldn’t it improve just during day to day activities, since my HR would seemingly be in Z1 or Z2? Yesterday I did my first “aerobic” workout, trying to keep my HR between 100-111. It was a 40 minute walk outside, so my new workouts are going from extremely slow jogging to walking.
-Over time, before getting another lab test, should I Increase the heart rate I train at, under the assumption that my aerobic threshold will increase over time? For example, every month, should I increase my heart rate training ceiling by something like 2 bpm? And then do another lab test in a year?
-I guess I shouldn’t do strides at this point? I used to do them sometimes after an “easy for me but aka probably too fast” run, and it’d put my heart rate around 120-135.
-I guess I also shouldn’t start back up with lifting at this point, until my aerobic threshold is higher? I bet almost any lifting will put my heart rate in the 120-140 zone.
-Anecdote from college: Could hit a 10:30 min 1.5 mile at my best, so a 7:00 pace. However, my 1 miles was closer to 6 minutes, I just hit a big wall at that point. I assume the big spread between 1 mile pace and 1.5 mile pace was due to poor aerobic fitness?
-Is my anaerobic threshold about 160ish? I guess lab isnt the best way to figure that out.
-The doctor had a theory about why my fat/carb usage gets weird around 130-145…. is it because I spent a lot of time training at those heart rates the last several years?
-Any other thoughts on my results or how I should be training?
