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Anaerobic Threshold / Lactate Threshold
Rating
The anaerobic threshold (lactate threshold) is the intensity above which lactic acid starts accumulating in the blood faster than the body can process it.
In detail
Below the threshold, energy is produced predominantly aerobically and the effort can be sustained for a long time; above the threshold, anaerobic glycolysis kicks in, muscle acidification rises quickly, and the pace cannot be maintained for long. This usually occurs at 80-90% of maximum heart rate, but the exact value is highly individual and trainable — tempo workouts specifically shift the threshold upward.
How to use it
A simple field benchmark for the threshold is the pace you can sustain for about an hour at maximum sustainable effort (close to your one-hour race pace).