I was 16 years the first time I tested my lactate levels. I remember my coach made me swim 400-meter freestyle at sub-maximal speed. Afterward, he gave me a small needle prick in the ear. Then he collected a small blood sample and put it in a small test tube. The analysis machine was the size of a handball, and it took about 30 min to analyze it. Today, however, it only takes 10 sec to receive a result. During my 17 years as a competitive swimmer and 14 years as a head coach, I have discovered why the lactate threshold is important in athletic performance.
Firstly, let us take a look at the lactate testing process.
Lactate testing is one of the more accurate ways to identify the physiological changes that occur in the body while training or competing. Today we have portable blood sample machines that can measure the amount of lactic acid in your blood sample. The analysis only takes a couple of seconds.
How to sample a blood test?
Firstly, you want to be sure that your testing surface is clean and ready. Lay down all the required equipment and prepare for the blood sampling.
Required equipment:
- Blood sample machine.
- paper towels
- needles
- strips
- garbage can for disposing of samples
When the athlete is ready to give a blood sample, you can pinch him with a sterile needle in the ear or fingertip. The ear is the most popular place for many athletes because you have fewer nerves there. Thus, making the process less painful. Although, some coaches claimes that the fingertip gives a more accurate measurement. However, I have not found any significant proof for this during my research.
The testing process.
- Dry away water, sweat, or dirt, and make the first pinch with the needle.
- Place the test strip into the machine.
- Dry away the first blood from the athlete and press out a new one.
- Sample this blood and wait for the result.
Test protocols for threshold testing.
There are several different ways to test for your lactate threshold. Choose the testing protocol that is the most convenient and gives you the information you need.
One-step test.
The One-step test is the easiest and cheapest test protocol for threshold testing. Since it only requires one or two test strips.
Swim or perform a set distance that lasts between 3 to 6 min. In swimming, we usually use 400 freestyle meters. Perform it in a sub-maximal effort to hit inside 3.0 to 5.0 mmol/L lactate.
You can use this table to calculate your V-4 time. For example, if your lactate test shows 2,5 with the speed of 5:00,0 on your 400-meter, then ,calculate the 400 time with a 3% higher speed. Or if your lactat was 4,5 mmol/L, then calculate with a 1,5% lower speed.
| Distance | Rest | I-1 | I-2 | I-3 | I-4 | I-5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 meter | 10 sec | 99% | 103% | 107% | 109% | 110,5% |
| 50 meter | 30 sec | 102% | 106% | 110% | 112% | 113,5% |
| 100 meter | 10 sec | 97,5% | 100,5% | 103% | 104,5% | 105,5% |
| 100 meter | 30 sec | 98,5% | 101,5% | 104% | 105,5% | 106,5% |
| 200 meter | 10 sec | 96% | 99% | 102% | 103,5% | 104,5% |
| 200 meter | 30 sec | 97% | 100% | 103% | 104,5% | 105,5% |
| 400 meter | 10 sec | 94% | 97% | 100% | 101,5% | 102,5% |
| 400 meter | 30 sec | 95% | 98% | 101% | 102,5% | 103,5% |
| Continues | 0 sec | 92% | 96% | 100% | 102% | 103,5% |
Table 1. Overview of the percentages for breaking out swimming speed in intensity zones 1-5 for typical stroke lengths in interval and continuous training with 10 and 30 seconds rest. The starting point for the calculations is found through a 30 min test or a V-4 lactate test which is set to 100%.[1, p 155]
With this calculator you will get your V-4 speed together with the other speed markers according to table 1.
Some coaches use 4.0 mmol lactate as a fictive threshold limit. However, I use 3.5 as the fictive threshold limit because my experience tells me that the intensity zones from this calculation correlate better with the lactate level measured under workouts. The Norwegian National team swimming is also using 3.5 for estimating the threshold. That is when they are not using step tests to identify your lactate threshold.
Step test.
We define The lactate threshold or Lactate inflection point like this: “Lactate inflection point (LIP), is the exercise intensity at which the blood concentration of lactate and/or lactic acid begins to increase rapidly.”
There is no set lactate level for this point. It is different for every athlete. Consequently, the idea that 4.0 lactate mmol/L signifies the threshold lactate point is false. Nevertheless, it still allows you to identify the changes in the lactate compared to your speed.
However, the step test might give you a better picture of your lactate profile.
The step test protocol
Perform an interval series where you gradually increase the intensity for each repetition. Take a blood sample after every intensity increase. Document the lactate value compared to the speed. Thus, giving you an overview of how your lactate level increases with your intensity. You will notice that the increase is gradually up to a point. At that point, the lactate starts to elevate more rapidly than before. That is where we usually place our lactate threshold or Lactate inflection point.
The intensity zones.
Each intensity zone correlates to phases that stimulate different aspects of the energy systems. That gives us a good tool when setting up our workouts. You can better control what energy system to improve by adding specific intensities to each repetition. Thus, managing the degree of energy systems involvement during the interval.
| Intensity zone 1 | |
|---|---|
| % of maximal heart rate | 55-72 |
| Lactate | 1,5 mmol/L |
| Ventilation / breathing | Can talk effortlessly |
| Intensity zone 2 | |
| % of maximal heart rate | 72-82 |
| Lactate | 1,0-2,0 mmol/L |
| Ventilation / breathing | Can say longer sentences relatively effortlessly. |
| Intensity zone 3 | |
| % of maximal heart rate | 82-87 |
| Lactate | 1,5-3,5 mmol/L |
| Ventilation / breathing | Can say short sentences. |
| Intensity zone 4 | |
| % of maximal heart rate | 87-92 |
| Lactate | |
| Ventilation / breathing | Can say a few words or very short sentences |
| Intensity zone 5 | |
| % of maximal heart rate | 92 |
| Lactate | |
| Ventilation / breathing | Can only say a word or two at a time, while breathing heavily. |
Table 2. Shows an overview of the intensity zones up to I-5. [2]
What does the lactate test tell us?
Your body has three energy systems to resynthesize Adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
- ATP-PC System or Alactic system. This system can supply energy faster than any other because it does not need any oxygen to perform the process. It does not even need any lactic acid. That is why it is called an Alactic process.
- Anaerobic Glycolysis or Lactic Acid System. This system uses carbohydrates (glucose) and lactic acid to resynthesis ATP. Since this system also can function without oxygen, it is relatively fast. Although not as rapid as the ATP-PC system.
- The aerobic energy system. This system uses oxygen in combination with carbohydrates and fat. Out of these three energy systems, this is the slowest one. On the other hand, this energy system is much more efficient because it can produce more energy and last longer.
The lactate test gives us an idea of how your energy systems are deployed compared to your speed. The faster you can swim, run, cycle, and still primarily depend on your aerobic energy system, the longer you can expect to keep up this speed. For long endurance events, this is of tremendous importance.
So, is the lactate threshold important in athletic performance?
Knowing your lactate threshold speed is valuable. Not the least because it will help you to choose the correct training speed during practice. Furthermore, the changes in lactate threshold will give you an idea of how your body has adapted to the workouts.
However, it is crucial to understand the dynamics between aerobic and anaerobic capacity to determine if the test results show a positive or negative change. For example, the most common mistake while analyzing threshold tests is to assume that a higher threshold speed is always a sign of an improved performance capacity. That is not the case at all. Especially for sports that require a certain amount of anaerobic capacity. Such as sprint and medium distance races. Or most team sports that require short bursts of sprints.
In other words, you need to identify two crucial points before you conclude anything.
Key points to consider when analyzing lactate threshold test results.
- What might affect the results?
- What is the sports-specific profile for your sport? In other words, is it the aerobic or anaerobic capacity that dominates the performance results in your sport?
What might affect the results?
Imagine that you have two swimmers that are performing the lactate threshold test.
Swimmer A.
Swimmer A performs a 400-meter freestyle. The time is 4:30,4 with only 2,7 mmol/L of lactate.
Swimmer B
Swimmer B performs a 400-meter freestyle. The time is 4:31,3 with 3,6 mmol/L of lactate.
At first glance, it might seem that Swimmer A is in much better shape than Swimmer B. And we might expect Swimmer A to perform better at the next swim meet.
But what if Swimmer A can´t produce more lactate than 3,5 mmol/L. At the same time as Swimmer B can produce up to 8-10 mmol/L lactate during a race. In other words, Swimmer B can utilize his anaerobic capacity to a higher degree than Swimmer A. Resulting in a much higher potential for high performance in a 400-meter race that also relies on a certain amount of aerobic capacity. In other words, the aerobic and anaerobic capacity balance has to fit your sports-specific profile.
[3]
Is the lactate threshold important for long-distance athletes?
The following table shows how much of each energy system is utilized compared to the duration of the race. As you can see, races that last over 27 min mainly uses the aerobic energy system. However, athletes that want to be able to put in an extra sprint at the finish line still need some anaerobic capacity. Nevertheless, the lactate threshold is important for athletic performance in these events.
Is the lactate threshold important for medium-distance athletes?
Medium-distance athletes are more dependent on their anaerobic capacity than long-distance athletes. That is why your ability to balance your aerobic and anaerobic capacity is crucial for optimal performance. Therefore I recommend you add a lactate top test or lactate production test to your test schedule.
Lactate top test.
That is easy to do. Just measure your lactate after a maximal race effort. Remember that it takes some time for the muscle lactate to transfer to the blood. That is why the blood lactate level might continue to elevate for several minutes after the race. Try to retest every minute until the lactate levels start to decline.
This test will show if the athlete can produce and use lactate during a race.
Lactate production test.
Sprinters and medium short distance athletes also need to know how efficient their lactate production is. They need a lactate production system that can produce and resynthesize as fast as possible. For this, it is possible to use the following test protocol:
- Take a pre-lactate test.
- Perform an all-out intensity for at least 30 sec.
- Take a top lactate test.
- Divide the lactate elevation by the duration of the all-out intensity run.
This test protocol will show how much lactate you produce per sec. Consequently, this test will show you how efficient your lactate production is.
Is the lactate threshold important for short-distance athletes?
Short-distance performances are highly dependent on their anaerobic capacity. In other words, the lactate threshold is less important for their performance. However, that is not to say that it is unimportant. Your aerobic capacity affects more than only performance. It also affects your recovery phase. An athlete with a greater aerobic capacity will be able to recover more rapidly than an athlete with a poor aerobic capacity. In short, higher aerobic capacity will reduce the resting time you need before you can repeat the performance.
The lactate threshold test applies to athletic performance if you analyze it properly.
Firstly you have to understand that the results you are receiving give you no more than a part of the puzzle. Since we are taking sample from the blood, we can only analyze those values. The lactate levels in the blood are lower than in the muscles. In other words, our testing systems will only give us an approximation. However, by using these, we can get some guidelines. Put this together with other tests, and you will get enough information to build workout plans fitted to your needs.
Think about it as map coordination. You will not know where to go with only one coordinate. However, if you have at least three, you can triangulate to the exact point. In other words, use several tests to help you puzzle the pieces together.
How to quality check your test protocols.
- Make sure that you perform every test in a proper test format.
- Document every test. So you will be able to monitor changes in the test results.
- Compare test results to performance results and subjective evaluation of your physical shape.
- You should also compare your test results with other high-performance athletes. I will add some results from the lactate threshold test for swimmers. I hope swimmers will find this helpful.
- Finally, do not get nervous if you have one poor test. You must look at the whole picture. The tests only show what direction you are heading. Not the state of your entire workout plan.
- Evaluate the test results and make the necessary changes.
V-4 times for men.
V-4 times for women.
Top lactat after an maximal effort.
|
|
Men |
Level |
Spread |
Best athlete |
|
|
Swimmer |
World class |
|
|
|
Sprint |
50m |
10,9 |
10-12,5 |
10 |
|
Crawl |
100-200m |
10,8 |
9,7-12,5 |
9,7 |
|
|
400m |
7,8 |
6,6-8,8 |
8,8 |
|
|
1500m |
8,6 |
8,1-8,8 |
8,8 |
|
Backstroke |
100-200m |
7,8 |
7,2-8,6 |
7,5 |
|
Breastroke |
100-200m |
8,9 |
8-9,9 |
8,6 |
|
Butterfly |
100-200m |
9,0 |
6,8-10,9 |
9,9 |
[4]
|
|
||||
|
|
|
Level |
Spread |
Best athlete |
|
|
Swimmer |
World class |
|
|
|
Sprint |
50m |
7,5 |
5,5-9,5 |
5,5 |
|
Crawl |
100-200m |
7,5 |
5,5-9,5 |
5,5 |
|
|
400m |
4,6 |
4-6, |
3,7 |
|
|
800m |
4,6 |
4-6, |
3,7 |
|
Backstroke |
100-200m |
4,7 |
4,6-6,3 |
4,6 |
|
Breastroke |
100-200m |
7,7 |
5,4-10,4 |
7,4 |
|
Butterfly |
100-200m |
6,3 |
5,5-7,4 |
5,5 |
[4]
Sources:
[1] Madsen. Ø, de Faveri. T, 2006 “Svømmetrening” Bodoni Forlag.
[3] Bompa, T. O., and Haff, G. G., 2009 “Periodization. Theory and Methodology of Training.» 5th Edition. Human Kinetics.
[4] Olbrecht, J., 2007 “The Science of Winning” F & G partners.