lactate threshold sample patient report

What is the lactate threshold?

The lactate threshold is the point at which, during incremental exercise, lactate builds up in the blood stream at a level that is higher than resting values. The lactate threshold is a good predictor of submaximal fitness (e.g. what exercise pace can maintained over a prolonged period of time without fatigue).

How do you test for lactate threshold?

Lactate Threshold Test. To determine your lactate threshold, choose your preferred a form of steady-state exercise (running, cycling, rowing, etc.), strap on a heart rate monitor, and warm up for about 10 minutes. Then perform your chosen activity at the fastest pace you can maintain for 30 minutes without stopping.

How can I increase my lactate threshold?

“Exercising at or near your lactate threshold by doing sprint intervals, HIIT, and other high intensity activities can help you not only increase your threshold, but also function longer once you reach it,” Thieme says. “But in order to do that, you first have to know what your lactate threshold is.”.

What is the work rate of lactate test?

The test begins at a relatively low work rate and progresses slowly so that blood lactate levels remain at, or near, resting levels throughout the early stages of the test. The work rate increases such that a lactate threshold is reached after approximately 12 to 20 minutes of exercise.

How do you read lactate threshold results?

Measure your heart rate at 10 minutes into your run. Continue your run and stop at 30 minutes and measure your heart rate. Add your heart rate at 10 minutes to your heart rate at 30 minutes and divide by 2 to find the average. This is an estimate of your lactate threshold heart rate.

How do you describe lactate threshold?

Your lactate threshold is the level at which the intensity of exercise causes lactate to accumulate in the blood at a faster rate than it can be removed, making it the border between low- and high-intensity work.

What is a normal lactate threshold?

Lactate is a by-product of metabolism and exercise that the body is constantly producing. Under normal conditions (rest and lower-intensity training), blood lactate is typically 1-2 mmol/L. During intense effort, it can rise over 20 mmol/L. Lactate levels are measured using blood draws at different stages of exertion.

What is an example of lactate threshold training?

Here are three examples of lactate threshold interval workouts: 5-minute easy running warm-up. 4 x 1600m at 10km race pace (with 2-minute jogging recovery between reps) 5-minute easy running cool-down.

How do I determine my threshold pace?

First, divide your time by the distance to obtain your average pace for that distance. Next, if you ran a 5K, multiply that average pace by 1.07. If you ran a 10K, multiply the average pace over the 10K by 1.01. For most people, the result will be a good approximation of your threshold pace.

How do you find the lactate threshold on a graph?

How lactate threshold is calculated: Your blood lactate concentration will be plotted on a graph against intensity. Lactate increase during activity remains fairly linear until your LT is reached at which point the slope of the plotted line will greatly increase, this is described as the inflection point.

What does a lactate of 3 mean?

A level > 4 mmol/L defines lactic acidosis3, a level high enough to tip the acid-base balance, which may result in a serum pH < 7.35 in association with metabolic acidosis. Lactate can be measured from both venous and arterial blood. Serum samples should be processed within 15 minutes to avoid falsely elevated results.

What is a high lactate level?

A high lactate level in the blood means that the disease or condition a person has is causing lactate to accumulate. In general, a greater increase in lactate means a greater severity of the condition. When associated with lack of oxygen, an increase in lactate can indicate that organs are not functioning properly.

Is higher or lower lactate threshold better?

The more work you can do before reaching lactate threshold, the better. If the pace you can hold at your lactate threshold is higher than the pace your competitor can hold at his or her lactate threshold, you go faster, reach the finish first, and win.

How long should threshold runs be?

Although the ideal duration of a steady threshold run is 20 minutes, your running time can vary somewhat to accommodate a particular course. For example, if your T-pace is 6:00 per mile, and you choose a three-mile course, this gives you an 18-minute tempo effort; or you might go four miles for a 24-minute tempo run.

What happens when you reach lactate threshold?

Lactate threshold is defined as the intensity of exercise at which lactate begins to accumulate in the blood at a faster rate than it can be removed. This is problematic because as a result, unbuffered acid is added to the blood, a condition that makes you feel like you have to vomit and stop right away.

What is the difference between vo2max and lactate threshold?

VO2 max is an athlete's ability to maximally consume oxygen while lactate threshold is a determination of the point at which lactate cannot be cleared as fast as it is accumulated. Although different, lactate threshold occurs at a percentage of VO2 so the two are related measurements.

How to determine lactate threshold?

To determine your lactate threshold, choose your preferred a form of steady-state exercise (running, cycling, rowing, etc.), strap on a heart rate monitor, and warm up for about 10 minutes. Then perform your chosen activity at the fastest pace you can maintain for 30 minutes without stopping. Your average heart rate for the final 20 minutes is your “lactate threshold heart rate,” or LTHR.

What is the lactate threshold?

Though it might sound like the spot where the milkman leaves his bottles, the lactate threshold is actually something you’ll likely encounter if you’re a regular exerciser. It can also be an effective indicator of your fitness level and something you can (and probably should) strive to improve.

Does lactate make muscles sore?

Lactate is not a waste product that needs to be cleared from the system, and lactate itself actually doesn’t make your muscles sore. “In truth, lactate threshold is a bit ...

What is lactate threshold?

What’s Lactate Threshold? Lactate threshold (LT) is a common term used to describe the point of a spiked increase in blood lactate during incremental exercise. Another term that is often used is the ‘onset of blood lactate accumulation’ (OBLA).

What is the lactate threshold for endurance athletes?

Knowing heart rate at lactate threshold is very useful to an athlete because he or she can easily measure heart rate during a workout or race to know whether they are above or below LT. Typically, the best endurance athletes hit LT above 80% VO2max (some as high as 90%).

How to determine LT?

The following is a quick guide for performing a GXT to determine LT: 1 The initial intensity should be low, about 40% VO2max. 2 Incremental increases in load should be small, about 5-8% VO2max or 1 MET. Small increments assure more precise determination of LT. 3 Length of each stage affects blood lactate levels. Long periods (4-6 min) are used to allow tissue lactate to be well reflected in blood. Shorter periods (continuous increase every 30 seconds) are used to gain sharp changes in lactate and to restrict its removal from blood. A moderate length (1-2 min) is often recommended. 4 VO2 and heart rate data should be recorded at each stage. 5 Fingertip blood samples should be taken during the 15-20 second period following each stage. Consistency is key. 6 If blood is immediately analyzed, LT can be determined before achieving maximal loads. Normally, the test is carried out until voluntary termination. 7 Peak blood lactate can be determined from maximal loads. Rate of recovery can also be determined by sampling immediately post-exercise and every 2 min for a total of 4 measures.

How long does it take for lactate to be absorbed into the blood?

Length of each stage affects blood lactate levels. Long periods (4-6 min) are used to allow tissue lactate to be well reflected in blood. Shorter periods (continuous increase every 30 seconds) are used to gain sharp changes in lactate and to restrict its removal from blood. A moderate length (1-2 min) is often recommended.

Does lactate spike during exercise?

First of all, you must understand that during exercise, lactate is produced (for the most part) in working muscle and when a high enough intensity is reached, the rate of lactate production starts to spike (it increases enough that it must spill out of the muscle into the blood). Some explanations for the rise in blood lactate are the following: ...

What is lactate threshold?

The lactate threshold is a field in exercise physiology where several studies have already been conducted. A lactate threshold test is useful as it will lead to the discovery of specific applications for a person’s racing, training, and other exercise activities. The workload corresponding to the lactate threshold and onset ...

How to improve lactate threshold?

The way to improve Lactate Threshold is to incorporate one or two Lactate Threshold training runs into the weekly plan. These are run at a comfortably hard, near race pace, with a steady, unvarying effort. After about five to 10 minutes of easy running, run for at least 20 minutes at Lactate Threshold pace.

What happens to lactate when oxygen supply is altered?

When oxygen supply is experimentally altered, blood lactate is profoundly affected. With an increase in inspired oxygen tension, either by increasing the oxygen content of the inspired air or by increasing the barometric pressure, the exercise-induced increase in lactate level is attenuated.

What is lactate profile?

Lactate profile is a form of testing that is very useful for monitoring changes in fitness and should be performed several times throughout the course of the training cycle.

Why is lactate in the blood?

The accumulation of lactate in the blood was thought to reflect a point during exercise in which oxygen supply was inadequate to meet the energy requirements of the working muscle. In the early 1960s, investigators linked lactate production in the blood to endurance performance among German athletes. In 1964, other investigators explicitly ...

Does lactate increase during exercise?

For example, the extent to which lactate increases in the blood during exercise is reduced as fitness increases or with training, and is increased in the presence of reduced cardiac output states or disease of the electron transport chain.

Is lactate production linked to exercise?

Shortly thereafter, several other laboratories in the United States and Europe independently reported that exercise intensity, lactate production, metabolic acidosis, and bicarbonate buffering appeared to be linked.

What is a lactate threshold test?

During a lactate threshold test, subjects exercise at progressively higher work rates until they are at or near exhaustion. Blood samples are taken at regular time intervals throughout the test and analyzed for lactate concentration. The test begins at a relatively low work rate and progresses slowly so that blood lactate levels remain at, or near, ...

What happens if you start a lactate test too high?

A test that starts too low or progresses too slowly wastes both time and materials.

Why do you do a warm up before lactate threshold?

By performing a warm-up prior to the start of the lactate threshold test, subjects can reduce anxiousness and their rates of lactate production, leading to more accurate lactate levels during the early portion of the test.

How long does it take for a lactate test to be completed?

The work rate increases such that a lactate threshold is reached after approximately 12 to 20 minutes of exercise.