Are lactate tolerance intervals anaerobic or not?

Since recovery between efforts is not complete between lactate tolerance intervals then they cannot be very "anaerobic" in nature and must be more high end aerobic. Is this correct?

what are "lactate tolerance intervals"?

ric

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I believe these are ought to be performed under severe acidosis.
They may be 2min long reps with full recovery in between, or shorter reps with incomplete recovery in between.

The purpose of this type of training is to increase buffering capacity.

Quadsweep. Most intervals aren't 100% anaerobic or 100% aerobic (as you know). While the purpose of lacate tolerance intervals isn't to increase the rate of anaerobic metabolism per se, they're still predominantly anaerobic in their nature, hence the very high acidosis resulting from this practice.

They are sort of both, but they are 100% of the anaerobic work you can do. If you do these, you have to go REALLY hard, I cannot stress that enough. I have alot experience with these (almost 10 years - (I do rowing and coaching, but I guess the principle would transfer really well to cycling)), and give it alot of rest between the intervals. I do these (average) 3-4 a week all year round, off season, almost never, and then about 5-8 times a week before peaks.

A typical workout could be 4 minutes 'all-out' (don't ride as if you have complete another one). then a good long rest, say 10 minutes or even up to 15, then do a 3 min interval, 2 min and finally a 1 min sprint. "4 + 3 + 2 + 1 /10 min (MAX)" would be how I write this down.

When you do alot of this, you'll be able to get really high lactate, and you'll shorten the time it takes you from getting high lactate. To put it this way: You'll be able to sprint for a longer time.

With that said, I don't think you'll get much out of this if you're a road cyclist, unless you're a sprinter. I think you'd get more out of (per hour) working on your VO2 max instead.If you trackcyclist, I could only see this as mandatory part of you training routines. You shouldn't ever hit you max lactate during a road race or training, unless you can afford to take a break underway. If you do this in a race at any other time than the finish, someone will ride faster than you when you're down and recovering from those 15-20 mmol/l.

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Short intervals with incomplete recovery. ie: 60 seconds all out followed by 60 seconds rest.....in sets of 5-10 efforts before taking a longer rest period.

I did these in my high level hockey days and they were a killer.

Here is a quote from a pro ice hocket trainer.
"I also add on 60 second intervals with shortened recover phases to build lactic acid tolerance, giving players the mental ability to generate and coordinate powerful efforts in the face of anaerobic depletion and lactate accumulation (when their legs become fatigued, heavy and sore)." Peter Twist

and Chris Carmichael here> "Speed Intervals" 30-60 seconds long with a 1:1 work/recovery ratio, efforts can be divided into sets. "This workout builds up high levels of lactic acid and trains your body to dissipate anfd buffer lactate".

and more from Chris here>"Descending Intervals" to do the same thing as above
120 seconds on 120 off
105 sec on 105 off
90 on 90 off
75 on 75 off
60 on 60 off
45 on 45 off
30 on 30 off

Would it not be best to do them short ie: 2 minutes or usually less, and with incomplete recovery? If you do them for two minutes and then get full recovery then aren't you defeating the purpose of this type of training which is to improve lacate buffering and clearance?

Would 45s on , 1m15s off would also qualify I think, as the short interval keeps the intensity very high. 3 sets of 8.

If the above are 'lactate intolerance' intervals, are 4 minute intervals really thus? I would think that in the last minute of a 4 minute interval I am working V02Max.

Ya, that's what I was thinking. With these intervals you pretty much go all out for 30 seconds to two minutes and you build up a ton of lactate. The long 4 minute interval would not be as conducive to this and would be mouch more VO2 in nature I think.

I'm sure, if Andy C, sees this he'll add more (if he so wishes), but,

it's lactate not lactic acid
lactate is a fuel and not a 'bad guy', without it we'd be much worse off
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/conten...urcetype=HWCIT

ric

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The point of my question, was not what they are per se, but what is the OP trying to do: what are his/her goals, what physiological mechanism is s/he trying to improve, what outcome does s/he require. At what are they trying to get 'faster'?

ric

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No not at all.

Listen.

A 2min long sprint is very difficult to stand. After one, you can take 10minutes if you want, that wont defeat the purpose.

I have never seen a scheduled lactate tolerance set made of 2min long intervals with partial recovery. Such a set would become a VO2Max, or even a threshold set more than a L6 set so to speak.

True that. Sorry I haven't updated all my terminology yet

But I'm opened for suggestions.

I think (for having had an pm exchange with him as well) that he simply wants to improve his sprinting ability in general. I don't think he's into track training/racing just yet.

I hope Andy Chims in too. Good thread.

he most certainly is not either an exercise physiologist or sports scientist (which i am, as well as a coach). I'm not even certain that he's actually a coach (although i'm happy to stand corrected on that).

ric

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I am not a trackie. I am just trying to understand the physiology of it all and improve my sprint as well as anaerobic power