Lactate Testing
During increasing intensity of exercise, lactate threshold is the point at which blood lactate levels increase and lactate clearance is no longer able to keep up with the amount of lactate produced. Our bodies are always producing lactate, even at rest. The key here is where lactate production exceeds the bodies ability to clear it. Lactate threshold is the best predictor of athletic endurance performance. Knowing an athlete’s lactate threshold is far more beneficial than V02 Max numbers and lactate threshold is extremely effective when trying to target specific components of the physiological system. No other measure correlates as well with race performance and tells how well training has been working. Lactate data is sport specific and should be done for both the bike and run. A lactate threshold test is conducted by running or cycling at a set pace or wattage and, after 4-5 minutes, blood is taken from a finger stick and the lactate is measured. We record speed/watts, heart rate, and perceived exertion before moving to the next stage of intensity. We continue this process continues until a significant jump in blood lactate is seen from one stage to the next. Upon completion of the test we can determine your lactate threshold as well as set accurate training zones that are based on your LT. Through proper training lactate tolerance and speed at threshold can be improved. Cost: $110 per test. This includes multiple measures of lactate. This test is only available for our coached athletes.