Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
Anaerobic capacity is the body’s ability to produce energy without oxygen, powering short, maximal efforts lasting up to roughly 1-2 minutes (sprinting, a hard break in water polo, a powerful lacrosse dodge). It relies on the phosphocreatine system (immediate, up to ~10 seconds) and anaerobic glycolysis (up to ~90 seconds, producing lactate). Anaerobic capacity is developed through sprint and high-intensity interval training. It is critical in team sports requiring repeated explosive efforts, and in any sport with sprints, jumps or short maximal bursts. It declines faster with age than aerobic capacity.
- Energy production without oxygen
- Powers efforts up to ~1-2 minutes
- Phosphocreatine + anaerobic glycolysis systems
- Developed via sprint and HIIT training
In practice
Anaerobic capacity determines how long an athlete can sustain an all-out effort before lactate accumulation forces them to slow down — sports with repeated short, explosive efforts (ice hockey shifts, rugby sevens, 400m sprinting) depend heavily on this quality, which is trained through short, maximal-intensity intervals with incomplete recovery.
FAQ
How is anaerobic capacity different from anaerobic power?
Anaerobic power is the maximum rate of energy output in a single brief effort (like a jump), while anaerobic capacity is the total amount of energy the anaerobic system can supply over a sustained hard effort (like a 400m sprint).
What's a good way to train anaerobic capacity?
Repeated maximal efforts of 20-90 seconds with incomplete recovery between reps — such as 300m repeats or hard hockey-shift-length intervals — are standard for developing this quality.