lactate testing
lactate testing
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lactate and vlamax testing gives you a complete picture of how your body produces and clears energy, helping you target the right training zones with precision. using data from a progressive step test and sprint effort, we identify your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds and measure how much lactate you produce at high intensities
example athlete test: max (15 years old, 61 kg)
event focus: 6km cross country
pbs: 3:59 (1500m), 8:50 (3000m)
phase 1: step test (aerobic & anaerobic thresholds)
protocol: 4 × 1600m with 1-minute recovery. lactate sampled at the end of each stage. hr recorded in the last lap of each stage.
| Stage | Pace (min/km) | Lactate (mmol/L) |
|---|---|---|
| warm-up | 5:00 | 2.1 |
| step 1 | 4:20 | 1.8 |
| step 2 | 3:50 | 2.8 |
| step 3 | 3:35 | 3.6 |
| step 4 | 3:25 | 5.9 |
| 10 min jog cooldown | ~5:00 | 2.3 |
threshold estimates:
lt1 (aerobic threshold): ~2.4 mmol
lt2 (anaerobic threshold): ~5.0 mmol
hr zones
| zone | purpose | heart rate |
|---|---|---|
| zone 1 | recovery / easy | 125 to 145 bpm |
| zone 2 | steady aerobic | 146 to 155 bpm |
| zone 3 | sub threshold (lt1) | 156 to 162 bpm |
| zone 4 | threshold (lt2) | 163 to 172 bpm |
| zone 5 | above threshold | 173 to 195 bpm |
interpretation:
max showed a relatively elevated baseline lactate, sitting above 2 mmol during warm-up and still dropping slightly at 4:20/km. this is not unusual for younger athletes or those with a naturally higher glycolytic contribution. from 3:50/km onward, we see a steady and predictable rise in lactate, peaking at 5.9 mmol at 3:25/km. these results suggest max is aerobically well developed as he was able to sit around 3.6 mmol at 3:35/km, indicating strong lactate tolerance and clearance near the threshold zone.
his lt1 is estimated at ~3:50/km, where lactate was still rising but under 2.5 mmol, and lt2 sits close to 3:30–3:25/km, where he starts exceeding 5 mmol. this is a high threshold profile for someone his age and indicates a solid aerobic foundation. especially relevant for events like cross country where sustained effort just below or at lt2 is critical.
his cooldown lactate dropped back to 2.3 mmol after 10 minutes of easy jogging - a good indicator of effective lactate clearance, but not unusually fast.
phase 2: vlamax test (anaerobic power & lactate production)
protocol: 500m sprint effort in 1:10 (3:20/km pace equivalent for 500m), lactate sampled 1 min and 3 min post-effort.
| Time Post | Lactate (mmol/L) |
|---|---|
| 1 min | 20.1 |
| 3 min | 21.1 |
vlamax = 0.30 mmol/L/s
interpretation:
max produced a very high peak lactate value after the sprint effort, suggesting good anaerobic capacity. a VLamax of 0.30 is moderate, not excessively high for a 1500m/3k runner, but above what would typically be ideal for longer aerobic-based racing. this value indicates that his glycolytic system is capable of generating large amounts of energy quickly, which supports surges and sprint finishes. very useful in middle distance and championship-style racing.
however, for a 6km cross country focus, too much anaerobic contribution too early can become inefficient. the goal isn’t necessarily to lower VLamax dramatically (since this natural speed and efficiency can be his game changer), but to continue improving his aerobic ceiling so that his threshold pace becomes more economical and less glycolytically demanding. if this VLamax increases much higher, it could begin to impair his endurance efficiency — something we’ll monitor across training cycles.
phase 3: field validation – 12 × 1km threshold session
session: 12 × 1 km @ ~3:25/km with 60–75 sec recovery
lactate sampled after rep 6 and 12
| Rep | Lactate (mmol/L) |
|---|---|
| 6 | 5.3 |
| 12 | 5.1 |
interpretation:
this session provides strong validation of his anaerobic threshold pacing. running 12x1km at ~3:25/km with stable lactate around 5 mmol confirms that he can hold race-relevant intensities without accumulating additional lactate drift. many runners will see a slow rise in lactate across a long session like this — the fact that max held steady indicates very good buffering and clearance capacity, and also reinforces that his estimated lt2 is accurate.
this is a good sign for cross country racing: it suggests he can operate just under his threshold for long periods without tipping over. it also shows that his threshold pace is sustainable in a training environment — not just for 3–4 reps, but over 40+ minutes of broken work.
summary & recommendations
max displays a strong aerobic base and solid anaerobic capacity, with both his thresholds and his VLamax sitting in a good range for a 1500–3000m runner. for 6km cross country, he is on the upper end of glycolytic, meaning his body prefers to rely on carbohydrate metabolism earlier than ideal but he has the clearance ability to manage it.
his training should now focus on:
increasing time at lt1 and lt2 (especially broken threshold work like 3x10 min, 4x8 min, or 12x1k)
longer aerobic efforts just under lt2 to push threshold upward
maintaining leg speed and anaerobic capacity through short hills and strides, not heavy anaerobic sessions
this test gives us the full picture — where he is strong, where there’s room to grow, and how his physiology is responding to training. that’s the power of testing: we don’t just guess, we observe, adjust, and improve.
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