patient report blood lactate testing for heart rate zones

by Sammy Brakus MD 9 min read

Blood Lactate Measurements and Analysis during …

34 hours ago Several few blood samples are gradually taken during the test. The lactate curve, which reveals how well trained the rider is, is based on how the blood acidity level rises. The higher the loading, the higher the heart rate, and the higher the blood acidity. Well-trained cyclists have a gradual heart rate rise with slow acidity growth. This is how they are able to withstand higher physical … >> Go To The Portal


The lactate test reveals two basic break points: The Aerobic Threshold is to be found at 65% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. When you fall below this level, your body works in an aerobic mode and only burns fat. This zone is suitable for weight reduction and developing endurance.

Full Answer

Is blood lactate concentration a useful parameter for Clinical Exercise testing?

Introduction Blood lactate concentration ([La−]b) is one of the most often measured parameters during clinical exercise testing as well as during performance testing of athletes.

Do lactate levels predict acute myocardial infarction in chest pain patients?

In 129 patients with chest pain[15], lactate values measured on arrival identified those chest pain patients with critical cardiac illness (i.e., severe congestive heart failure) while lactate concentrations within the normal range had a high negative predictive value for diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Is blood lactate concentration associated with cardiac arrest and neurological recovery?

The association between blood lactate concentration on admission, duration of cardiac arrest, and functional neurological recovery in patients resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation. Intensive Care Med. 1997;23:1138–1143.

Is lactate a prognostic factor in circulatory shock?

In the following years, increasing evidence supported the notion of lactate as a prognostic factor in circulatory shock[14,25]. In 45 CS patients complicating STEMI, increased lactate values (that is > 6.5 mmol/L) were independently associated with in-hospital death. Similar results were reported in other investigations[27,28].

Which heart rate zone is lactate threshold?

Zone 5aZone 5a is your lactate threshold intensity. It's more stressful than the lower zones, so you can't do a lot of running in this zone, but it's a powerful fitness booster, so you'll want to do some Zone 5a running each week.

How do you measure heart rate with lactate threshold?

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.

Does lactate affect heart rate?

This study confirmed that 1) the increase in lactate concentration on the skin surface on working muscle is associated with increase in exercise intensity (heart rate), and 2) the skin surface lactate concentration on the working muscle can be used as a parameter of exercise intensity in each subject.

What does blood lactate indicate during exercise?

Blood lactate levels essentially serve as an indirect marker for biochemical events such as fatigue within exercising muscle. Lactate levels are assessed for several different reasons such as determining sustainable threshold, peak, tolerance and clearance values.

How do you determine heart rate zones?

To calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. To calculate your target heart rate (THR) zone, multiply your MHR by 64% and 76%. These numbers give you the low and high numbers that your heart rate should stay within the majority of time while you are exercising at a moderate intensity level.

What percent of max heart rate is lactate threshold?

The lactic threshold system (70–80% of your max heart rate) is a combination of the aerobic and anaerobic systems and uses a combination of fat and carbohydrates to create energy.

What is a normal lactate level?

Normal results range from 4.5 to 19.8 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (0.5 to 2.2 millimoles per liter [mmol/L]). Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories.

What does lactate test tell you?

What is a lactic acid test? This test measures the level of lactic acid, also known as lactate, in your blood. Lactic acid is a substance made by muscle tissue and by red blood cells, which carry oxygen from your lungs to other parts of your body. Normally, the level of lactic acid in the blood is low.

How to learn about our current physical condition?

The best way to learn about our current physical condition and body function is by taking a lactate test, which tells us how intensely we can exercise and how we should train without getting overworked.

What is lactate curve?

The most important lactate test result is the lactate curve, which can form various shapes and provides some seriously important data. A well-trained athlete has a rather bow-shaped lactate curve compared to someone who is not very fit and has a linear curve. Such a person is not able to withstand greater loads and their heart rate rises sharply in response to increased performance. The lactate and heart rate levels enable us to identify any weak points in our training. The lactate curve together with the heart rate values present the most precise method we can use to determine our physical condition and to plan the relevant training loads.

Is lactate infusion important for shock?

During shock, lactate is the most important fuel for the heart. Indeed, in laboratory animals, lactate depletion is associated with shock and mortality[10,11] while lactate infusion increased cardiac performance in cardiogenic and septic shock[12].

Is lactate a fuel?

Lactate is an important fuel for the stressed heart[8]. During exercise the uptake of lactate by the myocardium and its use increase as well as during β-adrenergic stimulation and shock[4,9]. In presence of increased lactate concentrations, lactate might represent up to 60% of cardiac oxidative substrate.

Is lactate a waste product?

In other words, increased lactate levels are indicative of a stress response and lactate is a source of energy and not a waste product. Lactate, since it is easy and quick to measure even at the bedside, has been widely investigated in critically ill patients to assess its prognostic role[5].

What Is Lactate?

You produce lactate when your body breaks down carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen or glucose) anaerobically (without oxygen) to produce energy. This process is called ‘glycolysis’. The end-product of this reaction is a substance called ‘pyruvate’.

What Is Lactate Threshold And Why Is It Important?

The lactate threshold, also known as the anaerobic threshold, maximal lactate steady state (MLSS), onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) etc., is the highest output (heart rate/pace/power) that you can sustain without a continual increase in muscle and blood lactate.

What Is Lactate Testing?

Lactate testing is a test done to determine your lactate threshold and establish training zones based on actual metabolic conditions within your body. Zones ascertained this way, therefore, have better physiological validity than zones based on FTP, FTPa or heart rate (e.g. max heart rate) anchor points.

The Results

There are three types of results we’ll typically see in our lab. The first two we see regularly, the last one is less common.

Moving The Curve

The purpose of training is to move your lactate threshold so that it occurs at a higher output. This change is illustrated by a shift to the right of the lactate curve, as seen in the graph below.

What is a Lactate Threshold Field Test?

By definition, a field test is a test “carried out in the environment in which a product or device is to be used”. In the case of a running lactate threshold field test, that environment is wherever you would normally run.

My Coaching Preference: the 30 Minute Time Trial

This 30 Minute time trial test comes from cycling and triathlon coach Joe Friel, who debuted this approach in a 2000 article published in Inside Triathlon magazine.

Test Preparation

Make sure you are well rested. I recommend performing the lactate threshold test the day after a full rest/recovery day.

Step 2: Begin 30 Minute Time Trial

Once you are thoroughly warmed up, begin your 30 minute time trial. Be sure to start your GPS timer / heart rate monitor at the start of the 30 minute time trial. Then, run as fast/hard but as consistent as possible for 30 minutes. Think: 5K race pace.

Step 3: Hit the Lap Button at 10 Minutes (optional)

If you do not have access to training software compatible with your GPS watch, such as Training Peaks, Final Surge, or Coros Training Hub, then you are going to want to find a way to separate the last twenty minutes of your data from the first ten minutes. The easiest way to do that? Hit the lap button at minute #10 (but keep running!).

Step 4: Stop your GPS & Cool Down

Once you hit the 30 minute mark, be sure to immediately stop your GPS so that you have a marked end point to your time trial data. Then, continue on with a cool down run at a recovery pace or a walk. Resist the urge to completely stop, even though you are likely exhausted at this point.

Step 5: Upload & Analyze Your Data

Below is an example of heart rate and pace data from a client’s lactate threshold test. The client in question is a 39 year old male, who I would classify as an intermediate to advanced athlete, with previous ultramarathon and iron distance triathlon experience.

How long does it take to get your heart rate to go up?

At 10 minutes into the test, hit the 'Lap' button on your heart rate monitor, to get the average heart rate over the final 20 minutes of the test. The average for the final 20 minutes is your Lactate Threshold or LT. You should finish knowing you gave it everything you had. 15 minutes easy cool down.

How long does it take for HR to drop?

When you first start exercising it may take over 3 minutes, but as you get more fit, it may drop as quick as 1 minute.

How long does it take to warm up for a bike test?

Bike test protocol: The warm-up is 15 minutes of cycling, moving through the different gears, always keeping the cadence above 90 RPMS. Do a few short sprints to get your heart rate up and ready for the test!

Does Couch to Sprint have HR?

The 'Couch-to-Sprint' plan has no HR training or LT testing as of the above warnings. If you are new to endurance type training, DO NOT perform these LT field tests until you are well into a plan. Already have a base.

Principles

There are 3 zones defined by the blood lactate level: green, yellow and red.

Green zone

Low intensity 60min+ duration activities: walking, jogging, cycling, swimming etc.

Yellow zone

Intense 40min+ duration activities: running, skiing, cycling, swimming etc.

Red zone

High intensity explosive workouts: sprints, jumps, short interval training, heavy lifting etc.