Training & Nutrition - What is my Lactate Threshold?

:rolleyes:
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)

There are a number of recent threads in this forum about LT.

Indoor trainer HR's are generally a few beats lower than outdoors, probably because of controlling the bike, or how depressed you get about riding indoors.

There are LT tests to try like 2x20', 2x3miles, 1x10 miles, a race pace you can barely handle in a 50-60 minute race, lab testing, etc. If you can't do those, I used to use a relatively easy ballpark method of doing 5' intervals on the flat, 5' rest between, maintaining pretty much the same effort/intensity/HR for all of the 5 intervals.

Pushed just hard enough to barely feel the pain of lactic acid in my legs. The HR in the 2nd or 3rd interval during the last 2 minutes or so turned out to be just about 5 bpm below my lab-tested LT. (HR should increase during the first 90-120 seconds of each interval and then level off. First interval's steady-state HR will probably be a bit lower than the later intervals.)


-Warren

Pushed just hard enough to barely feel the pain of lactic acid in my legs.-Warren

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”?

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”?

Too answer your question, not really, during your test. Muscle pain not related to lactate/hydrogen/ph issues could come during very short efforts (like 10-30") or after some very extreme efforts that probably caused little micro "tears" in the muscle. Other than these and accumulated fatigue from doing lots of efforts or very long efforts the chemical issues are likely causing the pain you feel.

After you're done excercising the pains you feel are due to waste products still in the muscles (BTW, NOT lactic acid like many people think-it clears your muscles within 75 minutes), and the micro tears. Also known as Delayed Onset Muscle soreness (DOMS).

As for what inhibits your ability to reach higher HR's, it seems to me that as a person goes from low fitness to say, okay fitness their ability to get to high HR's improves. If you're sick or a bit tired (especially from stress) you'll find it harder to get your HR up to where it would normallly go for a given effort. I also think, and I've talked to many people who agree that as you get fitter the "easier" it is to push yourself to the limits of your ability. It is not uncommon for an athlete nearing their peak of fitness before a big event to push themselves too hard during a training session and end up setting back their recovery so much that they lose fitness. Get really fit, be more careful.

-Warren