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=FatMax is similar over a broad range of intensities =
FatMax tested at five different intensities, between 55-95% of anaerobic threshold and showed similar levels of fat metabolised<ref name="k385"/>. This suggests that it's not worth being too focused on a specific intensity beyond going slow enough that you can keep going for a long time.
=Measuring FatMax=
The best way to measure FatMax is using an incremental stress test while measuring oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production to get respiratory exchange ratio. That's part of a standard [[VO2max|V̇O2max]] test, but not something that's easily or cheaply available to most runners. Another alternative is to look at [[Lactate]] levels. There is some correlation between the initial rise in Lactate and FatMax<ref name="a585"/>, and while not perfect, I think it's good enough. Lactate meters are becoming cheaper and more widely available, with the promise of continual lactate monitoring coming soon. The initial rise is Lactate is different what is normally meant by [[Lactate Threshold]], which is the transition from moderate to hard exercise (aerobic to anaerobic). This rise is sometimes call the "First Lactate Turn Point" or "Aerobic Threshold". Definitions vary, with some studies using any rise from resting lactate levels, some using 0.5 or 1.0 rise from resting levels, or a fixed 2.0 level of lactate.
[[File:Three Phase Model of Exercise.jpg|center|thumb|600px|A three phase (zone) model of exercise intensity<ref name="k156"/><ref name="e211"/>.]]
=The intensity gap=
The most obvious problem with FatMax training is that you have to train at a much lower intensity the most people are comfortable with. Some runners will struggle to even run with their heart rate low enough to be in FatMax. Runners may find that FatMax intensity falls into the gap between the lower intensity of walking and the higher intensity of running. It's often said that the most common problem in recreational runners is their easy runs aren't easy enough, and their hard runs aren't hard enough. The two problems are related in many runners, where their easy runs or too hard to allow them to fully recover and run hard on their hard days.
<ref name="x643">G. Whyte, K. George, R. Shave, N. Middleton, A. Nevill, Training Induced Changes in Maximum Heart Rate, International Journal of Sports Medicine, volume 29, issue 2, date 2008, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/0172-4622 0172-4622], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-965783 10.1055/s-2007-965783], pages 129–133</ref>
<ref name="uMAF">Dr. Phil Maffetone, The MAF 180 Formula: Heart-rate monitoring for real aerobic training., Dr. Phil Maffetone !!website!!, date 2015-05-06, https://philmaffetone.com/180-formula/, 2024-05-16 !!access-date!!</ref>
<ref name="a585">Carlo Ferri Marini, Philippe Tadger, Isaac Armando Chávez-Guevara, Elizabeth Tipton, Marco Meucci, Zoran Nikolovski, Francisco Jose Amaro-Gahete, Ratko Peric, Factors Determining the Agreement between Aerobic Threshold and Point of Maximal Fat Oxidation: Follow-Up on a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Association, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, publisher MDPI AG, volume 20, issue 1, date 2022-12-27, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/1660-4601 1660-4601], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010453 10.3390/ijerph20010453], free !!doi-access!!, page 453</ref>
<ref name="k156">Ronald K. Binder, Manfred Wonisch, Ugo Corra, Alain Cohen-Solal, Luc Vanhees, Hugo Saner, Jean-Paul Schmid, Methodological approach to the first and second lactate threshold in incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing, European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation, publisher Oxford University Press (OUP), volume 15, issue 6, 2008, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/1741-8267 1741-8267], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/hjr.0b013e328304fed4 10.1097/hjr.0b013e328304fed4], free !!doi-access!!, pages 726–734</ref>
<ref name="e211">James S. Skinner, Thomas H. Mclellan, The Transition from Aerobic to Anaerobic Metabolism, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, publisher Informa UK Limited, volume 51, issue 1, 1980, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/0270-1367 0270-1367], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02701367.1980.10609285 10.1080/02701367.1980.10609285], pages 234–248</ref>
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