Whether you’re a runner, cyclist, swimmer, triathlete, or rower, as an athlete, you require physiological data that you can use to monitor and guide your training regimen. Blood lactate threshold is one of the most effective performance markers commonly used by thousands of coaches and athletes.
The point of lactate threshold testing is to find the highest intensity at which you can perform an exercise before blood lactate levels become too high. Elite athletes and their coaches understand that the key to success is to increase speed or endurance when running at your lactate threshold.
You may be wondering how to find your lactate threshold or how to train to increase your lactate threshold? Read on to find out.
Lactate threshold can be defined as the intensity of exercising at which lactate accumulates in the blood quicker than it can be removed. This can be problematic because when unbuffered acid builds up in the blood, you can feel nauseous and have to stop exercising.
When your body starts to demand energy quicker than your aerobic energy system can provide it, the glycolytic energy system picks up the slack. While your aerobic system is working as fast as possible, you still need more energy to maintain your athletic performance.
To calculate your lactate threshold at home, switch on your heart-rate tracking device and follow these steps:
Although this test is relatively straightforward, it’s not easy. This is because you must strive to exert maximum effort for the entire 30 minutes. Once the test is complete, you’ll feel exhausted.
VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize when exercising. It’s frequently used to test cardiovascular fitness or aerobic endurance in athletes as they start or finish a training cycle.
When discussing anaerobic threshold, VO2 max is frequently expressed as a percentage of AT. It typically sits between 50-60% for regular people and 75%+ for athletes. VO2 max is calculated in the milliliters of oxygen consumed in one minute per kilogram of body weight (mL/kg/min).
VO2 max shouldn’t be confused with the lactate threshold, which is the point during exercise that lactate builds faster than it can be expelled by the blood, producing cramping or burning feelings. Your lactate threshold is reached at about 65% of your VO2 max.
Although there is ongoing debate surrounding the lactate threshold science, we know that athletes can tolerate higher intensity exercise levels for more extended periods with sufficient training. That said, to increase your lactate threshold, you’ll need proper nutrition and training.
Lactate threshold training involves increasing your exercise intensity until you train at or slightly above your LT heart rate. This training can include interval training or steady-state training.
Interval LT Training Example: Perform three to five 10-minute high-effort intervals at 95-105% of your LT heart rate twice a week with 180 seconds rest between intervals.
Continuous LT Training Example: Twice weekly, perform a 20-30-minute workout at high-intensity (95-105% of your LT heart rate).
To increase your LT while racing or training, make sure you can exercise at increased intensity without depleting glycogen stores. To achieve this, you must carefully plan your nutrition in both pre and post-exercise meals.
Understanding how lactate threshold testing works is not something that’s reserved solely for triathletes and endurance athletes. We can all improve our athletic performance by practicing lactate threshold training regularly. Lactate threshold training helps to make sure that our bodies operate in peak physical shape.
Additionally, if you compete in endurance events such as ultramarathons and triathlons, understanding lactate threshold levels can hold the key to continuous athletic success.
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