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Blood lactate. Implications for training and sports performance
Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
|January 1, 1986
Summary
Blood lactate levels during exercise are increasingly measured due to their predictive power for performance. Lactate response is a more accurate indicator of athletic capacity than VO2max or heart rate.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Blood lactate measurement is a routine practice in exercise physiology.
- Its popularity stems from accurate, easy sampling methods and its predictive value.
- Lactate reflects both oxygen transport and muscle utilization capacities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the significance of blood lactate response in exercise.
- To highlight lactate's role in performance prediction and training prescription.
- To explore lactate's application in recovery from high-intensity exercise.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on blood lactate response to exercise.
- Comparison of lactate variables with VO2max and heart rate in predicting performance.
- Analysis of lactate response to supramaximal exercise and sprint training.
Main Results:
- Lactate variables show a stronger correlation with exercise performance than VO2max.
- Prescribing training intensity based on lactate concentration may yield more homogeneous adaptations.
- Lactate response to supramaximal exercise indicates adaptation to sprint training.
Conclusions:
- Blood lactate is a valuable and sensitive indicator of exercise performance and training adaptation.
- Lactate measurements offer insights for optimizing training intensity and recovery.
- Standardized lactate testing is reproducible but can be influenced by various pre-test factors.