The lactate curve helps you find your anaerobic
threshold and effort zones!
Along with the VO2max level, the analysis of lactate is one of the most useful tests for endurance athletes, because it provides accurate information about endurance and the installation of muscle fatigue..
Lactate analysis allows to establish the anaerobic threshold, when lactic acid begins to accumulate in the muscles. Based on this data, you can create customized training programs to improve performance.
What is lactate?
Lactate is formed as a result of the use of glucose by muscle cells under anaerobic conditions. The higher the glucose flow in the cells, the more lactate production increases (regardless of oxygen availability), which leads to increased muscle stress
Themilk threshold defines the upper limit of the physical effort that you can sustain during long-term sports activities. When you overcome it and your body will rely on the glycolytic system for energy, your muscles will start to get tired and you will have to slow down.
The higher the lactate threshold, the longer you can exert effort, at a high intensity, without the muscles getting tired, before the lactate begins to accumulate. In the case of well trained athletes, the lactate threshold is installed at exercise intensities of 80-90% of VO2max, while in untrained people it occurs at 50% of VO2max.
How does it help you know your lactate threshold?
If you are an endurance athlete, amateur or professional, knowing your lactate threshold and at what pulse it starts to settle, you know what is your level of resistance to exertion and the point where muscle fatigue begins to appear.
Through training, the lactate threshold can be increased, which means that your performance will also increase. High strength, high-intensity training aims to accelerate the elimination of lactate as it forms in the muscles.
This is the mission of lactate analysis, to provide areal basis for establishing appropriate training areas. You can train knowing how your body really behaves at exertion, not just based on your heart rate.
The strong point of the lactate threshold analysis is the comparison of the results over time. If you want to have better performance, the periodic analysis of lactate allows you to see clearly what your evolution is in terms of endurance, whether or not there are significant changes following certain training programs.