MAS TEST:
How to Calculate Your Maximum Aerobic Speed in Running?
Hello! In this blog, you will learn how to assess your Maximum Aerobic Speed (MAS) if you are a runner, whether you run on roads or trails.
You will discover different types of MAS tests and which one is best suited for your level.
Before we begin, the most important question we should ask ourselves is:
Why is it important to evaluate for running?
There is a training principle known as the “Principle of Individuality.” If you want to know more about these principles, I invite you to read this blog on the principles of training.
The principle of individuality tells us that each runner is different. Just because two friends have the same time in a 10km race and are preparing for the same marathon, it doesn’t mean they can train the same way.
Each person may require completely different training. Let me give you a real example: one of these runners is me, and the other is a runner I was coaching.
We both had the same 10km time on the road, 35:20 vs. 35:30. However, in a 5km race, I was significantly better than him. For example, I could do 5x1000m intervals at 3:10 pace, while he struggled to run even a single kilometer at 3:15.
Conversely, in the marathon, it was the opposite. He had a time of 2h43’, while I, at that time, couldn’t even come close to 2h50’. One of us was more of an «endurance athlete,» while the other was more of a «sprinter.»
This meant that each of us needed a completely different marathon training plan. He already had a strong endurance base, but his maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) was very close to his cruising speed, which limited his ability to improve further in the marathon. Therefore, this runner needed interval training to improve his VO2max and MAS.
As for me, it was the opposite. I already had a very high MAS, so I didn’t need more intervals; I needed to improve my endurance for that marathon.
Conducting tests and evaluating our running performance allows us to determine:
- What you need to improve and which training methods to use.
- The exact pace at which you should train to enhance the physiological capacity you need.
We’ve covered point (1), but Victor… what about point 2?
Don’t we improve all our abilities just by running?
Doesn’t interval training improve everything?
The reality is that it doesn’t.
Training Zones in Running
There are about six key factors that most influence performance in long-distance runners:
- VO2max
- Anaerobic Threshold
- Aerobic Threshold
- Running Economy
- Muscular System
- Nutrition
The first three capacities determine the training zones for a runner. Generally, there are three main training zones:
Zone 1: Low-Intensity Zone
This zone is where you do recovery and endurance training. These paces are below the aerobic threshold.
Zone 2: Moderate-Intensity Zone
This is a zone where training paces fall between the aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. It includes extensive intervals and tempo runs, improving endurance but generating greater fatigue and resistance to fatigue.
Zone 3: High-Intensity Zone
In this zone, you perform interval training to improve MAS and VO2max, as well as longer intervals and fartlek to improve the anaerobic threshold.
These are training paces above the anaerobic threshold speed.
I’ve provided a table here where you can observe the different mini-zones we use within these three main zones, and what improvements each zone targets during your run.
As you can see, the adaptations you achieve with this training depend entirely on the exact pace at which you run.
Running training isn’t just about putting on your shoes and heading out the door; it’s crucial to know the exact pace at which you need to train to improve the capacity you want to enhance.
Now that we have all this clear, we can move on to: What is MAS? And What test should you perform to measure your MAS?
What is Maximum Aerobic Speed (MAS)?
Maximum Aerobic Speed (MAS) is the speed or pace associated with reaching your maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max).
VO2max is the maximum capacity of the body to capture and transport oxygen to the muscles. The more oxygen your body can deliver to the muscles, the more energy you can generate and the faster you can run.
This is a crucial determinant of performance in runners. The higher your VO2max, the more capacity you have to perform in any medium- or long-distance event. However, the longer the distance, the more important other capacities like the aerobic and anaerobic thresholds become.
If you want to know more about VO2max, I recommend reading this specific blog on the subject.
VO2max as a value isn’t useful for training because no one runs at 60 ml/kg/min of VO2max. Instead, we run at a certain speed or pace. This speed or pace is what we want to know to determine our training zones, and this is the information provided by MAS or vVO2max. MAS and vVO2max are the same; they mean the same thing.
Tests to Measure MAS
You can determine your MAS using three types of tests:
- Time-based tests.
- Distance-based tests.
- Incremental tests.
Time-based MAS Test
Studies show that most runners can sustain MAS for between 3 and 7 minutes. For this reason, the most commonly used test to evaluate MAS is to run for 5 minutes as fast as you can.
You shouldn’t start off at full speed but rather at a pace you think you can sustain for about 5 minutes.
If you’ve never done this before and aren’t accustomed to it, it’s better to perform the test incrementally. Think about what pace you think you can sustain for 5 minutes. Suppose it’s 3:30 min/km.
Start at 3:35, increase to 3:30 after a minute, and at 3 minutes, if you feel good, speed up to 3:25. In the last minute, since there’s only one minute left, push yourself as hard as you can.
It’s better to do it this way incrementally than to start at 3:10 and find yourself unable to continue after 2 minutes, finishing at 4:00. Your speed should be as consistent as possible during those 5 minutes, but it should also be your maximum for that time.
After completing those 5 minutes at full effort, the average speed or pace during those 5 minutes will be your MAS.
What’s the problem with this time-based test?
The main issue I see is that amateur runners aren’t used to running based on time. They’re more accustomed to running based on distance. Therefore, it’s hard for them to regulate their pace when thinking about time.
For this reason, I prefer the following MAS tests.
Distance-based MAS Test
From my experience coaching runners of all levels, this method is where runners feel most comfortable.
Typically, runners find it easier to regulate their pace based on distance. They have a better sense of how much distance remains and how much they can push themselves.
The problem with this test for evaluating MAS is that we can’t set a fixed distance for everyone. Five minutes is five minutes for Pepe, Laura, and José. But 1200 meters might take 4 minutes for Pepe, 3 for Laura, and 6 for José.
For this reason, you should base the distance on your level as a runner. I’ll give you the example I use with our runners.
For lower-level recreational runners, we use a 1200-meter distance as the MAS test. For intermediate-level runners, we use 1600 meters. And for elite runners, we use 2000 meters—3 laps, 4 laps, and 5 laps of the 400-meter track.
These levels are based on the idea that the runner can cover this distance in about 5 minutes, as we saw in the previous section.
1200-meter MAS Test: for runners who can’t cover this distance faster than 4:20 min/km.
1600-meter MAS Test: for runners who can’t cover this distance faster than 3:00 min/km.
2000-meter MAS Test: for higher-level runners who can cover 2000 meters in less than 3:00.
It doesn’t matter if your time is 4:50 or 5:50; these margins of error won’t affect the accuracy of your training zones based on MAS.
Incremental MAS Test
Another way to evaluate MAS is by performing an incremental test. An incremental test is one where you start running slowly and increase the speed at set intervals.
How long should you maintain each speed?
Generally, you should maintain each speed for 2-3 minutes during the incremental test. Here’s a sample protocol for an incremental MAS test for runners:
- 2 min at 7:00 min/km
- 2 min at 6:40 min/km
- 2 min at 6:20 min/km
- 2 min at 6:00 min/km
- 2 min at 5:40 min/km
- 2 min at 5:20 min/km
- 2 min at 5:00 min/km
- …
- Until total exhaustion.
The incremental test would start with you running at 7:00 min/km, increasing the speed by 20 seconds per kilometer every 2 minutes: 7:00, 6:40, 6:20…
Eventually, you’ll reach a pace you can no longer maintain, and you’ll have to stop. Let’s say you had to stop at 40 seconds into the 4:20 min/km pace because you couldn’t continue. The last stage you completed fully (you were able to complete the 2 minutes) is the speed/pace of your MAS. In the previous example, this would be an MAS of 4:40 min/km.
I recommend using this test with inexperienced runners, where regulating pace by time or distance is difficult. With this incremental test, the runner doesn’t have to regulate pace; they just need to maintain a certain speed for a set amount of time.
Why don’t we use this with everyone?
Personally, I prefer the other two MAS tests. Using the previous example of an MAS of 4:00, if we ask this runner another day (when they’re rested) to run at 4:00 until they can’t anymore, how long could they last?
Some runners might last 3 minutes, others 5, and others 7. The individualization of interval training based on that speed will be very different for someone who lasts 3 minutes compared to someone who lasts 7 minutes.
On the other hand, 5x800m intervals will be the same for all runners who have done the 5-minute MAS test or the 1600-meter MAS test.
How to Calculate Training Zones Based on MAS?
The speed or pace you achieved in any of the previous MAS tests is your 100% MAS. By multiplying this 100% by various percentages, you can determine your training paces for each zone based on MAS.
Keep in mind that the percentages we calculate are based on most runners, but they won’t be specific paces for any individual. They will be estimates based on your MAS.
The most accurate way to determine your training zones would be by performing a stress test with gas or lactate analysis. Another more accurate method I’ve discussed in previous blogs would be to use a 10km race to estimate your anaerobic threshold.
Based on this second test for the anaerobic threshold, we can then base our training zones on two different capacities, making the estimates much more accurate.
Generally, these would be the percentages based on MAS to determine your training zones:
LOW-INTENSITY ZONE
- Zone 1 – Recovery: <55% MAS
- Zone 2 – Endurance: 60-70% MAS
MODERATE-INTENSITY ZONE (Between thresholds)
- Zone 3 – Tempo: 70-80% MAS
HIGH-INTENSITY ZONE
- Zone 4 – Anaerobic Threshold: 85% MAS
- Zone 5 – MAS / VO2max: 100% MAS
Based on these percentages, if we know our MAS is 18km/h or 3:20 min/km, and we know that Zone 4 is 85%, we simply need to multiply these figures by 0.85:
- 18km/h x 0.85 = 15.3 km/h
- 3:20 min/km x 0.85 = 3:55 min/km
You would just need to perform this calculation for each training zone.
MAS Levels
To assess your performance level relative to the rest of the world based on MAS, you should distinguish between men and women:
MAS levels for men:
- Low level: <4:10 min/km
- Intermediate level: >4:00 min/km
- Elite level: >2:45 min/km
MAS levels for women:
- Low level: <4:20 min/km
- Intermediate level: >4:20 min/km
- Elite level: >3:00 min/km
How to Improve MAS?
To improve MAS and maximum oxygen consumption, you can only do so through interval training at intensities above 90% of MAS.
Intervals between 1 and 4 minutes at MAS speed (100% MAS) will be the best method to improve MAS. Depending on whether you shift more toward 120% of MAS or 90% of MAS, you’ll still be working on MAS but also on other capacities like the anaerobic threshold.
The key takeaway here is that you will only improve MAS by running at paces above 90% of MAS and using interval training.
If you want to know more about this topic, types of intervals, and what they improve, I recommend reading this other article where we analyze it.
I hope you enjoyed this blog!
If you want personal assistance to improve your running times and avoid injuries, you can tell me about your case, and I’ll get in touch with you.
Best regards, and happy running!
