Lactate Threshold Testing
Performance Testing for Cyclists and Triathletes
Need
to know how fit you are? A Lactate Threshold Test determines your
current current physical performance and is usually recommended before
starting a coaching plan with us. The results of this test will be used
to calculate your custom Heart Rate and Power Training zones. We only
use the best tools for this, like the
Wahoo Fitness
Kickr trainer which is currently the most advanced cycle trainer on
the market.
What is a Lactate Threshold?
Lactate Threshold (LT) is known as the "red-line" to endurance athletes,
this threshold is the highest intensity at which your body can recycle
lactic acid as quickly as it is produced. Just below your LT, you are
working hard and acid levels are moderately high, but it does not accumulate
too high. Speeding up just a small amount will cause lactic acid
accumulation. Knowing this precise threshold enables an athlete to
work out most efficiently.
Lactic acid is a byproduct of exercise which makes the muscles "burn" and
may contribute to fatigue. During exercise, even at low intensity, you are
always producing lactic acid. The muscles are also constantly burning lactic
acid and using it as a fuel. At low intensity the muscles easily recycle as
much acid as is produced. The higher the intensity is, the more acid is
produced by the muscles. At LT intensity, the muscle is able to recycle the
acid as quickly as it is produced. If the athlete speeds up just slightly,
the muscles produce more acid than it can recycle and acid accumulates,
causing fatigue and damaging the muscles.
Why do a Lactate Threshold Test?
The single most critical factor that determines the benefit of aerobic
exercise is intensity – how hard you exercise! Training at the correct
intensity for each type of workout optimizes the body’s response, giving you
the greatest workout efficiency. Most people exercise too hard. Whether
attempting to improve endurance, lose weight, or increase sustainable speed
or power, almost everyone goes harder than is ideal. Testing is the only way
to learn the most efficient workout intensities for your unique physiology
and get the most out of every workout.
In any structured workout program, each workout should have a specific
purpose. To achieve the ideal response from the body, the stimulation must
be specific to the desired adaptation and must allow quick recovery for the
next key workout. Intensity, more than any other variable, determines the
body’s response to the training stimulus.
How we can help!
Based
on the test described above we will determine your individual Heart Rate (bpm)
and Power (W) training zones! The obtained
test results and training zones will be available to you
after you completed the test.
All Lactate Threshold Tests are done at
Austin
Tri-Cyclist in Austin, TX.
For our test, we choose only the best equipment. Testing is done on the state-of-the-art Wahoo Fitness Kickr and we use Nova Biomedical's Lactate Plus lactate meter to determine your blood lactate values.
$125/test ($150 at your home or office). Contact us to set up an appointment.
