Maximum Aerobic Speed
With the growing popularity of endurance sports, particularly running, the term MAS is being used more and more. MAS stands for Maximum Aerobic Speed. This is the speed at which the body uses the maximum amount of oxygen optimally (and reaches its VO2 max).
An athlete can maintain this speed only for a few minutes (usually between 5 and 7 minutes), using their maximum aerobic capacity. Beyond that, the athlete will need to aim for a percentage of their MAS, which allows them to determine their performance zones.
Knowing your MAS is part of your training. It is a useful information when you have a specific goal and/or want to improve your swim. The MAS is a benchmark that allows swimmers to calculate their pace (swimming time) based on a percentage of intensity.Knowing your Maximum Aerobic Speed allows you to follow a training plan with precise paces and intensities tailored for you, ultimately helping you find a comfortable race pace.
Calculate your MAS
The higher the MAS, the longer the swimmer can maintain a high speed over a long distance. It is expressed in km/h, and in swimming, we tend to refer to pacing on 100 m. So, a MAS of 4 km/h matches a pace of 1'30 on 100 m.
To calculate your MAS, multiple tests can be done. Below are a few tests you can try. Not all existing tests are mentioned (in particular the 400m test and the 5 x 200m test, as these tests have some limitations).
Half-Cooper test
Used as benchmark in running, the half-Cooper test also applies to swimming. The test consists of swimming as far as possible, non stop, in 6 minutes. The swimmer's MAS will be the distance covered, divided by 100, expressed in kilometers per hour.
Goal: swim the biggest distance in 6 minutes.
MAS= distance ÷ 100
So, if you swim 500 m in 6 min, your MAS is 5 km/h.
In the OpenSwim app, we offer full sessions that include MAS test in between:
- MAS test - advanced level, by Coach Nicolas
- MAS session test – intermediate level, by Coach Cédric
- MAS session test - advanced level, by Coach Cédric
- MAS session test - competition level, by Coach Cédric
5 minutes test
Very similar to the Half-Cooper test, here you need to swim the biggest distance in 5 minutes.
Goal: swim the biggest distance in 5 minutes.
MAS= distance x 12
So, if you swim 300 m in 5 min, your MAS is 3,6 km/h (300 x 12 = 3600 m , so 3,6 km/h).
Lavoie test
This is the swimming equivalent of Vameval test, in running. More complicated to set up, the swimmer starts in the water and the speed will increase gradually. Every 2 minutes, the speed increases by 0.050 m/s. An observer must indicate the target speed to the swimmer. When he is no longer able to keep up, the last speed reached is the swimmer's MAS.
Paces and MAS in swimming
In training, knowing the distance is one part of the data. And the target pace or a target percentage of MAS is used to define its intensity. Therefore, knowing your maximum aerobic speed and the matching paces will allow swimmers to refine their training plans according to their goals.