By Louis-Jimmy Liosis, ΜSc Applied Sports & Exercise Science, MSc Sport & Leisure Management
Before discussing the methods that can be used to train our lactate threshold, I will briefly present a theoretical background that is essential for your further understanding. The first concept we must examine is lactate. A metabolism expert, Dr. Brooks, has contributed most of the research surrounding lactate.
Lactate is a metabolic byproduct that is generated during carbohydrate breakdown. Lactate buffers the acidity (PH reductions) in the muscle cells by accepting the hydrogen ions (H+) that build up and cause fatigue during intense exercise. Lactate is one of the most important generators of new glucose molecules, with about 30 percent of all glucose used during exercise coming from lactate recycling to glucose. So, lactate’s job is to prevent ensuing fatigue and resulting impairments in exercise performance; if it weren’t for lactate we would not be able to train at high exercise intensities.
Lactate threshold is the fastest pace that an individual can maintain during steady state aerobic exercise (running, cycling, swimming) before hitting the wall. So, it is the maximal steady state of continuous aerobic exercise. Training at exercise intensities above lactate threshold can only be sustained for a few minutes. However, guess what…lactate threshold is trainable and can substantially improve. By improving lactate threshold we manage to produce less lactate and lower the accumulation of hydrogen ions at a given exercise intensity. So, we can cycle, swim, or run faster while training at the same level of intensity.
Let’s put science to practice now. How can you improve your lactate threshold?? A properly devised training program for that purpose would include:
1. High Training Volume
2. Steady State Training at Lactate Threshold/Tempo Runs
3. High-Intensity Interval Training/HIIT
1. Before starting any lactate threshold training regimen we must first build a solid aerobic base whereby training volume is going to gradually increase for around 4-12 weeks depending on the starting fitness status of the athlete/trainee. Training volume should gradually increase by 10-20% each week. So, assume you start off with 15 minutes of steady state aerobic training sessions during the first week of your training cycle. You may increase training volume 3-5 minutes per week up until you reach 60 minutes per session or the targeted weekly training volume that has been set by your trainer. Training frequency may progress from 3 times per week to 4 times after 2 weeks of training and 5 times around the 7th training week. Training intensity will revolve around 40-50% of heart rate reserve for the first 6 weeks and 40-60% of heart rate reserve from the 7th week onwards until the completion of the aerobic base training phase. Current fitness status will guide the selection of training variables and corresponding progressions and magnitudes.
2. After building a solid aerobic base you can introduce steady state training at lactate threshold into your workouts. Lactate threshold occurs at around 80-90% of heart rate reserve in trained persons and 50-60% of heart rate reserve in untrained ones. Tempo runs shall make up for no more than 10% of total training volume (if your training is volume is 150 minutes per week you can dedicate up to 10-15 minutes per week for steady state training at the lactate threshold). This will allow training adaptations to occur at the safest possible way. However, according to latest research, you may gradually and safely progress and advance your training with small increments of 3 minutes per week up until you reach 30 minutes maximum. You will substitute one moderate intensity aerobic training session of the previous program discussed (aerobic base program) with one tempo run session. So let’s say you will include 4 moderate intensity aerobic training sessions and 1 steady state training session at lactate threshold for this training cycle which will last for around 6 weeks.
3. After the completion of a solid aerobic base training cycle and a steady state lactate threshold training cycle, your body is ready from a physiological point of view to start using high intensity interval training sessions. High intensity interval training sessions are performed for short time intervals at velocities or workloads above the lactate threshold at around 90-100% of heart rate reserve. HIIT’s shall make up for around 10% of total training volume (if your training is volume is 150 minutes per week you can dedicate up to 10-15 minutes per week for high intensity interval training). Work intervals are suggested to last around 2-3 minutes with an equal rest interval in between. You are advised to carefully progress with the number of intervals performed by starting with 2 work intervals for one session per week (work to rest ratio 1:1; 2-3 minutes work & 2-3 minutes rest) and add one interval per week until you reach 5-10 intervals at the end of your training cycle. So let’s say you will include 4 moderate intensity aerobic training sessions and one high intensity interval training session for this training cycle which will last for around 6 weeks.
ALL OF THIS INFORMATION MUST BE EVALUATED AND USED ACCORDING TO YOUR CURRENT FITNESS STATUS ALONG WITH THE PHYSIOLOGICAL DEMANDS OF THE CHOSEN TRAINING MODALITIES!!!
TIP: Heart Rate Reserve Calculation:
HRR= Maximum Heart Rate (220-age) - Resting Heart Rate
https://www.unm.edu/~lkra…/Article%20folder/LTassessUNM.html
https://www.trainingpeaks.com/…/what-is-lactate-and-lactat…/
https://www.acefitness.org/…/how-to-design-a-lactate-thres…/
