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Understanding the Significance of Lactate threshold in endurance training
Most cyclists rely on their maximum heart rate as a guide for structuring their training, utilizing it to establish zones that align with the appropriate effort levels to meet their objectives. However, there’s a metric that surpasses maximum heart rate in terms of precision for this purpose: the lactate threshold.
The lactate threshold signifies the demarcation between high- and low-intensity effort, akin to the exertion level sustained during a full-throttle, 30-minute time trial (which we’ll explore further shortly). It serves as a more reliable indicator for setting training zones than maximum heart rate. This is because two cyclists may share an identical maximum heart rate but exhibit significantly different lactate thresholds, attributed to genetic factors or variations in training history. Inactive individuals might see their lactate thresholds at about 50 percent of their maximum heart rate, whereas elite athletes can often sustain 90 to 95 percent of their maximum heart rate for up to an hour.
Everything you need to know about Heart Rate and Cardiovascular Health.
In the past most cyclists were focused on their training around the maximum heart rate, but now we know that the Lactate Threshold is the one that important. When athlete rises his lactate threshold, he can produce more power at a comfortable heart rate, and that makes him a better rider and racer in every situation. Lets cover all aspects of this invaluable training metric—including methods for identifying and enhancing your lactate threshold to elevate your performance to its peak potential.
What is Lactate threshold?
Lactate acts as your body’s natural defense against acid buildup in your muscles, which is what causes the burning sensation during intense exercise. As you increase your effort, acid accumulates more rapidly. There comes a point where your muscles produce acid faster than it can be neutralized, leading to overwhelming discomfort that slows you down.
This critical juncture, where acid accumulation outpaces your body’s ability to neutralize it, defines your lactate threshold. In cycling language, it’s essentially the highest speed you can sustain for 30 minutes without experiencing unbearable burning in your legs.
Identifying your lactate threshold is surprisingly straightforward, offering a practical approach to enhancing your cycling performance.
How to find your lactate threshold?
by doing a lab test
Numerous coaches, fitness centers, and performance labs provide lactate threshold testing, typically lasting between 30 to 40 minutes.
Equipped with a heart rate monitor, you’ll begin by cycling at a light pace on a stationary bike set to a certain power level. The resistance is incrementally increased every few minutes until you reach your limit.
With each increase in resistance, a technician collects a small blood sample from your finger to measure lactate or lactic acid levels—the key indicator of muscle fatigue. This information is recorded and analyzed by a computer, which then generates a graph depicting your performance.
Additionally, it’s possible to determine your lactate threshold during a VO2 max test conducted under similar conditions.
by doing a half hour time trial
It’s unlikely you’ll be conducting tests alongside professionals in a lab setting. However, you can determine your lactate threshold with a simple, do-it-yourself time trial, ideally performed outdoors on a level stretch of road.
Choose a three-mile circuit that you can complete without interruptions. After strapping on a heart rate monitor, start with a 20-minute warm-up, then tackle the route at the highest pace you can consistently maintain. Allow yourself a recovery period of 10 to 20 minutes, pedaling back to the starting point at a leisurely speed before repeating the trial.
Your lactate threshold can be roughly calculated as the average heart rate from these two attempts. (For a more precise figure, it’s 103 percent of this average rate.) Note your times and average speeds; conduct this time trial again in eight weeks to gauge your improvement.
by doing a test on trainer at home
Discovering your lactate threshold at home is achievable with this indoor workout test: Begin by determining a range that’s 80 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate. For example, if your maximum is 180 bpm, 80 percent equates to 144 bpm, and 90 percent is 162 bpm. Your lactate threshold is likely to fall within this spectrum, varying based on your physical condition.
After pinpointing your estimated lactate threshold range, embark on an indoor test to identify which resistance or gear maintains you within this range while keeping a steady cadence of 90 rpm. (For this, you’ll need equipment with a cadence feature, such as a power meter or bike computer, along with your heart rate monitor, and the assistance of a friend.)
Ensure you warm up thoroughly before maintaining a 90 rpm pace in your selected gear for 15 minutes. Have your assistant record your heart rate every minute. If the selected gear is too challenging (indicated by an escalating heart rate and heavy breathing), halt the test, adjust to a lower gear, and schedule another session on a subsequent day with reduced resistance.
Successfully completing the test in the highest gear that keeps your heart rate relatively stable throughout the 15-minute duration will give you a heart rate measurement that’s closely aligned with your lactate threshold. However, it’s crucial not to make the test too easy on yourself. Aim to find the maximum heart rate you can sustain for 15 minutes, where your breathing is noticeably challenged but manageable.
Here’s a crucial step—once you’ve identified your potential lactate threshold, deduct two to five beats per minute to arrive at your definitive number. The rationale? Many cyclists tend to overestimate their lactate threshold, leading to overly ambitious training zones.
Put your calculated threshold to the test during actual rides. Assess how this level of intensity feels. Is it sustainable at your target heart rate? Remember, pinpointing your lactate threshold isn’t an exact science; the goal is to identify a reliable figure that will serve as the foundation for your training regimen. By adhering to this method, you can achieve a precise home assessment of your lactate threshold, accurate to within a few beats per minute.
Understanding your personal lactate threshold allows every training session to be anchored to a benchmark that ensures safe, consistent, and targeted cycling workouts, perfectly aligned with your current fitness level.
How to improve your lactate threshold?
Much like other physiological traits, the lactate threshold is influenced by genetics yet remains impressively malleable with proper training. Regular, well-designed training sessions can significantly improve your body’s ability to both clear and buffer lactic acid, leading to better endurance and performance.
Finding the optimal balance in your training is critical. This balance is the fine line between a pace that feels comfortable enough to hold for lengthy periods and one that challenges your limits, allowing only a short duration of effort before fatigue sets in. This “sweet spot” training is where significant improvements in lactate threshold are often realized.
Prior to introducing lactate threshold training into your regimen, ensuring a comprehensive background of endurance building and speed work is essential. This preparation involves accumulating significant base miles to expand your aerobic capacity and incorporating intervals or other high-intensity efforts to build speed. With a strong aerobic foundation, you’re better positioned to tackle lactate threshold training effectively. The more developed your aerobic engine is at the start of this focused training, the more substantial and rewarding the outcomes are likely to be.
Such targeted training not only boosts your physiological efficiency but also equips you with the stamina and speed to push past previous limits. As you systematically challenge your body, it adapts by enhancing its lactic acid processing capabilities, thereby elevating your overall athletic performance and extending the periods you can sustain higher intensities. This approach, rooted in a solid base of aerobic and speed work, paves the way for meaningful advances in your lactate threshold and, consequently, your cycling achievements.
What are best workouts for boosting lactate threshold?
The exercises outlined below are tailored to enhance your lactate threshold. Opt for a single drill per session and limit your lactate threshold training to a maximum of twice weekly, ensuring you avoid back-to-back sessions.
Steady State Intervals To boost power at your lactate threshold, we recommend to begin with two 20-minute steady-state efforts, allowing for a 20-minute rest period between them. As you progress, aim for a continuous 30-minute effort. This method is proven to be the most effective for enhancing lactate threshold power.
- Start with a solid warmup.
- Ride for 10 minutes at a consistent pace, keeping your heart rate 3 to 5 beats below your lactate threshold.
- Follow with a 10-minute recovery.
- Repeat the process twice more.
Up and Down Intervals These intervals are a mix of lactate threshold and VO2 max (the maximum rate of oxygen your body can utilize) training. They replicate the demands of racing on varied terrains, requiring you to exceed your lactate threshold briefly, then rapidly recover.
- Begin with a warmup.
- Accelerate to your lactate threshold heart rate, maintaining this intensity for 5 minutes.
- Increase intensity to 3 to 5 beats above your lactate threshold for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Reduce intensity, and repeat for three total cycles, totaling around 18 to 20 minutes.
Lactate Threshold Tolerance Intervals Particularly beneficial for criterium and mountain bike racers who need to push beyond their lactate threshold repeatedly during races. These intervals train your body to manage high lactate levels, improving your capacity to maintain intense efforts.
- Warm up thoroughly.
- Boost your effort to about 5 beats above your lactate threshold heart rate and sustain it for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Ease your effort for 60 to 90 seconds—enough to feel somewhat recovered but not fully rested.
- Perform this sequence three times.
By integrating these targeted drills into your training regimen, you’ll be able to significantly raise your lactate threshold, allowing for improved endurance and performance during high-intensity efforts.
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