The Most Astonishing Lactate Threshold Test Ever - TR***

OK as promised the results from my latest lactate threshold testing in Philly a couple of weekends ago.

The title of this post is actually a total fabrication. The test results were not in any way astonishing and if anything at first look they are actually a little disappointing. That said if we look at them more closely they do raise some interesting questions.

For those who have not seen the earlier posts, whilst I was in Philadelphia visiting Cadence Cycling and Multisport Center I undertook some blood lactate threshold tests. On Saturday I did a bike test and the following day I did the run test.

Lets first look at the run test and how it compares to last years testing at the Cadence facility in New York during the Kona Challenge selection weekend. At first glance the results do not look too different to the initial testing.

The VO2 max HR 181 is unchanged but my lactate threshold HR has gone up slightly from 167 to 171. That means that although my max HR is unchanged my lactate threshold as a percentage of my VO2 max has gone up ever so slightly from 93 to 94%. Therefore I can go that little bit quicker before my body produces more lactate than it can deal with.

The graph shows my heart rate in bpm as diamonds at the top, my RPE or Ratings of Perceived Effort (simply how hard I felt I was working from a scale they held up) as diamonds and the squares indicate my blood lactate levels.

To find my threshold you draw a line through lactate levels and what you should find is two distinct lines that intersect at the lactate threshold. The relatively flat line indicates that my body is coping with the lactate that is being generated and the levels remain fairly level and when the line starts to steepen dramatically it indicates that I have reached my threshold or OBLA (Onset of Blood Lactic Acid) and the body is no longer able to flush the lactic acid being produced and it floods my blood stream.

So my LT threshold has not really changed very much since I started this program which is disappointing but .....

I have done very little LT training and the vast majority of my training has been focused at the endurance zones. According to the algorithm that Cadence use my endurance zone has gone from 117 to 139 bpm, to, 118 to 157 bpm. I am not sure how this algorithm determines the zones but however it does it it did it the same way last year and there has still been a significant change. According to the new figures I ran the first half on my marathon in my endurance zone which means that I have a lot left to give. It also means that I should be able to run 8 min miles in my endurance zone which was supported by a run a couple of days ago when I found I was able to hold 8 min miles for 20 minutes at only 140 bpm.

If there has not been that much change in the run results that is certainly not true for the bike. However again at first glance the figures look a little disappointing. My bike results from last years time trial gave a VO2 max of 180 and a lactate threshold of 168 bpm however this latest LT test gave a VO2 max of 165 and a lactate threshold of 156.

This is a significant drop, so what does it mean. Well it is not actually that bad as my LT as a percentage of VO2 max has again risen slightly from 93 to 95% and my endurance zone has remained pretty similar.

These new results are probably a bit more accurate than the time trial field test. Firstly I have really struggled to maintain my lactate threshold and super lactate threshold zones during training which makes more sense with the latest test. Additionally last years field test was done in a big room with lots of people shouting and cheering and there was plenty riding on it which means I may have given 110% rather than 100% which I may have physically been capable of (mind over matter).

My LT power has allegedly dropped from 245 to 240 watts and therefore as my weight is unchanged my power to weight ratio has also dropped slightly.

So in conclusion:

I am not too concerned about these tests. My run test indicates that I can now run much quicker in my endurance zone which is a good thing. My bike figures are down but I am in the middle of training and did not have much of a break before the test so I would expect to be a bit tired.

Perhaps more importantly I know for a fact that I am fitter and stronger than when I started and I am confident that everything is moving in the right direction. These tests seem to indicate that I am a lot more efficient at slower speeds which reflects the type of training I have been doing.

Perhaps the next round of testing in a few months really will be the most astonishing results ever and put me in league with the uber-athletes or perhaps, as I suspect, I have a perfectly normal physiology and will have to rely on quality training and will power to get me to Kona.

Sorry this has been such a dry post but I did warn you all with a trigeek rating of 3. For new readers click here for the trigeek ratings.

Training Zones - TR**

In previous posts I have mentioned endurance zones, lactate threshold and base phase without really bothering to explain what these terms mean. For the benefit of anyone who is looking at starting to train in this way I thought I would explain what I have learned so far about heart rate training zones and how they are applied. For the really techy I will include my heart rate zones from the beginning of the season, based on a V02 max test, with my heart rate zones taken at the end of the season using a blood lactate threshold test, a bike time trial and a run time trial.

So what are the heart rate training zones? Certain training systems define heart rate zones differently but in broad terms they all follow the same principle. My heart rate zones from a VO2 max test with Ken Mierke at fitness concepts (3 Apr 07) were:

Zone 1 Active Recovery 132-142
Zone 2 Aerobic Threshold 143-150
Zone 3 Tempo Training 151-164
Zone 4 Lactate Threshold 165-173
Zone 5a Super-threshold Training 174-177
Zone 5b Aerobic Capacity Training 178-182
Zone 5c Anaerobic Capacity Training 183+

My new training zones according to my latest (20 Oct 07) Blood Lactate Threshold testing by Cadence are (figures in brackets are from cycle/run field tests):

Zone 1 Recovery <115 color (<116/<115)
Zone 2 Endurance 117-139 (117-140/117-140)
Zone 3 Sub Lactate Threshold 140-161 (141-162/141-161)
Zone 4a Lactate Threshold 162-167 (163-168/163-168)
Zone 4b Super Lactate Threshold 169-177 (173-179/169-178)
Zone 5 VO2 Max 179 (180/179)
Zone 6 Sub-maximal n/a
Zone 7 Maximal n/a

N.B. The Field Tests gave remarkably similar results to the blood lactate test. It is also worth noting that Cadence put my endurance zone much lower than my VO2 max test earlier in the year but my lactate threshold is pretty similar. You can do field tests on your own with a stop watch for further guidance see a good book such as Joe Friel's 'The Triathlete's Training Bible'.

Once you know your heart rate zones you can use a heart rate monitor to target your training e.g. if I keep my heart rate between 117 and 139 I know that I will be in my endurance zone. This is where you spend most of your base miles during the build phase of your training program. In this zone you are training your slow twitch muscles and teaching your body to rely on fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates (fat will last a longer than your carbohydrate stocks).

When you want to do speed work you will often spend time training around your lactate threshold so that your body can become more efficient at speed without getting to the stage where you are creating more lactic acid than your body can recycle.

The zones are also very useful in a race. As you race more often you know what zone you need to maintain at certain race distance in order to finish in the best time. Apparently overtime you come to recognize how your body is doing without the use of a heart rate monitor but for beginners/intermediates I think a heart rate monitor is a useful training tool.

If you do not want to payout for a heart rate monitor you can judge your training purely on perceived effort (PE) and achieve similar results. If maximum effort for you is 10 and no effort is 0 then the following PE relate to each zone:

Zone 1 PE <3
Zone 2 PE 4-5
Zone 3 PE 6
Zone 4a PE 7-7.5
Zone 4b PE 8
Zone 5 PE 9
Zone 6 PE 9.5
Zone 7 PE 10

N.B. a good rule of thumb for exercising in Zone 2 (PE4-5) is that you can hold a conversation, 7-8 words without having to take a breath, whilst training.

The trick is to make sure that you stick to your endurance zone when doing your base training as it is so easy to get sucked into going quicker which can prevent you from getting in the necessary volume.

As you move into TR*** territory you may well start using other tools to train. Probably the best indication of training intensity is a power meter. By measuring the power you are producing on the bike you know what intensity you are training at. The advantage of power meters are that they are not affected by environmental factors such as wind and heat (on hot days you will find your heart rate monitor reading higher than normal).

I know from my field test on the bike that my 20min avg power is 258 watts (estimated LT power of 245) and as I get fitter I will try and push these numbers up. Another useful figure when it comes to performance is your power to weight ratio. If you look at the Tour de France cyclists they weigh less than a full water bottle but can put down phenomenal power which is why they are so bloody fast. My power to weight ratio was 3.12 watts/kg and I am looking forward to seeing this improve over time (a top pro cyclist will be up around the 7watts/kg mark).

My first season went pretty well and I believe that this was in large part due to finding TeamZ and following a good periodized program which was not too taxing. I used a heart rate monitor all year and it seemed to work for me but having gone on and on about HR zones it is worth bearing in mind that I recently heard an interview with Chrissy Wellington (the Brit who won the Ironman Worldchampionships at her first try) and she has never trained with a heart rate monitor – so there you go.

P.S. please remember that I am not a coach and I am just sharing what I have learned. There is loads of good info on line but I would always encourage newbies to join a local team where you will find a wealth of knowledge to tap.