What is my Lactate Threshold?

[Chaim]

I have read a few books, talked to a few trainers/athletes, and lots of friends and still not sure what my LT (and other training HR ranges are).

I am estimating that my:

MaxHR: 175
RestingHR: 50

In my spinning class they did a test and came up with “ranges” that can mean different things:

RestingHR - 134
135-145
145-155
155 – MaxHR


I thought my LT Threshold is 150 but when I exercise with CTS tape and they talk about training in below LT, I can not get to above 135 on the trainer at home.

Does this mean that my LT is actually 135?

In a physical test a few year ago (a not “sport” physician…) they told me not to exercise above 135. I know its nonsense but did they mean to say that this is my LT.

I hope I described my confusion clearly and hope even more for somebody to clarify.

Thanks

Chaim (NJ)

 

[MY02_STi]

As a very 'general' rule of thumb (and this will vary a LOT between individuals) a reasonable guesstimate for your LT would be 86 - 88% of your true (not estimate) MaxHR

 

[SolarEnergy]

In cyclic endurance sports, there is a correlation between the fatigue, and the blood lactate level. Not that the lactate itself is responsable for this fatigue, but we observe that, as the lactate curve grows out of control, a strong fatigue kicks in.

Lactate threshold is when the lactate level, starts to go up, over the normal level.

One of the goals, in training, is to be able to go faster, with less lactate build ups. One of the ways to do it, is to exercice at this level, for as long as you can.

The ranges you mentioned, are possibly something like
1 - recovery
2 - low level endurance
3 - Sub threshold, Tempo
4 - Lactate Threshold
5 - VO2Max, or aerobic overload
6 - Anaerobic Capacity
7 - Anaerobic Power, or neuromuscular power

A well known specialist, Andy Coggan, who happened to have writen a document on this subject, is also a member of this community. Read his, and those of many others, posts on the topic. You will learn a lot.

I don't have the link to his document, but many others do.

cheers

 

[Doctor Morbius]

In a physical test a few year ago (a not “sport” physician…) they told me not to exercise above 135. I know its nonsense but did they mean to say that this is my LT.

If they are saying that sort of thing, then they are not "sport" physicians either! Immediately forget everything they told you if they are that far off the mark.

 

[frenchyge]

I don't have the link to his document, but many others do.

Shame on you Solar.

http://www.peakscoachinggroup.com/Power_Training_Chapter.pdf

 

[Chaim]

As a very 'general' rule of thumb (and this will vary a LOT between individuals) a reasonable guesstimate for your LT would be 86 - 88% of your true (not estimate) MaxHR

Today I tested some HR ranges and at 150bpm I started to feel a pain. At 148 it became more comfortable.

I am assuming now that my LT is @ 150bpm.

Is there a “muscle” pain that is not related to lactate?
Somebody mentioned that muscle pain can actually prevent us from reaching high levels of HR. Is that true? How do we distinguish between these “pains”?

 

[danch]

Today I tested some HR ranges and at 150bpm I started to feel a pain. At 148 it became more comfortable.

I am assuming now that my LT is @ 150bpm.

Is there a “muscle” pain that is not related to lactate?
Somebody mentioned that muscle pain can actually prevent us from reaching high levels of HR. Is that true? How do we distinguish between these “pains”?

I'll answer this one over here!

Or extend it with another question. Haven't there been studies of people who don't produce lactate that showed that they feel the same burning sensation at high efforts? Hoping one of the well-read coaches here will be familiar with this.

Another point to be made - your HR at lactate threshold can't really be determined except by drawing blood in the middle of an excercise test. Search this forum for lactate threshold and read the posts by Ric for an explanation. He's offered a lot of free consulting in this area.

What cycling coaches have been doing for years (decades) though, is use HR average from a time trial of arbitrary time or distance as a proxy for HR@LT. Then training zones are built off of this magic number. If you've read Friel's book, then you've seen his 1/2 hour time trial to get the number, Carmichael uses the average of 2 3 mile time trials, some suggest 2 20 minute time trials etc. My perspective is that if I'm using a coaches system, it doesn't really matter to me what my clinical HR@LT is - my zones and the coaches workouts are designed based on some years of empirical evidence about what works. I don't need another magic number to confuse the issue.

Well, here's to hoping that someone with real knowledge on both the practical and theoretical sides of this posts up.