Associations Between Lactate Thresholds and 2000 m Rowing Ergometer Performance: Implications for Prediction-A...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Athlete performance prediction relies on various exercise thresholds.
• A systematic review on lactate-based thresholds and 2000m rowing performance is lacking.
• Metabolic parameters and endurance capacity are closely linked to rowing performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and assess the literature on lactate-based exercise testing and 2000m rowing ergometer performance.
• To evaluate the quality and reliability of existing methodologies.
• To discuss the implications for predicting rowing performance.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
• Searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus databases with updates in 2023 and 2024.
• Included studies reporting lactate tests correlated with 2000m ergometer performance; no meta-analysis was performed.

Main Results:

• Twenty-four studies involving 797 athletes were included.
• Incremental step-tests were the most common protocol.
• Power/velocity at 4 mmol l⁻¹ blood lactate showed strong correlations (0.53-0.96), explaining 28-92% of performance variance.

Conclusions:

• Power at 4 mmol l⁻¹ blood lactate demonstrates strong correlation and predictive potential for 2000m rowing performance.
• Significant variability in study methodologies hinders direct comparisons.
• Further investigation into other lactate thresholds is recommended due to insufficient data reliability.