Other Factors Affecting Performance

Hydration also affects your aerobic pace. Even slight dehydration can slow you down. Once you dehydrate, it may take twenty-four hours or longer to rehydrate, no matter how much water you consume. It’s important to drink smaller amounts of water all day rather than large amounts a couple of times a day.

Your equipment can also affect the outcome of your MAF Test. The two most significant items are your bike and running shoes. Your bike set-up and positioning, the pressure and wear on your tires, and any other factors that change drag, such as clothing, can slow your MAF Test results. Make a note in your diary if your test is done with a different bike set-up, more clothing, or other factors that may change the test.

广告：个人专属 VPN，独立 IP，无限流量，多机房切换，还可以屏蔽广告和恶意软件，每月最低仅 5 美元

Running shoes will also affect the results of your MAF Test. In general, shoes with more cushioning and support and heavier shoes slow you down. Lighter shoes, including racing styles, generally allow you to run faster at the same heart rate.

While most of the above factors will raise your heart rate and slow your pace or speed, performing the MAF Test for longer rather than shorter times will help compensate for these natural variables. For running, this means five miles, for a bike test, a total of about thirty to forty-five minutes or more.

One other factor that will affect your MAF Test is worth mentioning here: ill health. When you are sick, or starting to get sick, your body’s immune system is working very hard to recover, and it needs all the energy it can get. The last thing your body wants to do is work out, especially when you have an elevated temperature. In this situation, don’t train or compete. If you’ve ever attempted this, and worn a heart-rate monitor, you know what happens: your heart rate elevates, sometimes drastically. The same happens if you are anemic: less oxygen is delivered to the muscles, with the resulting MAF Test results being slower.

Since these and other factors can affect the results of your MAF Test, they can also influence your performance during competition. The best defense is, of course, being as fit and healthy as possible so all compensatory mechanisms in the body are functioning optimally.