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Int J Sports Med 2018; 39(07): 541-548
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-102131
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Higher Accuracy of the Lactate Minimum Test Compared to Established Threshold Concepts to Determine Maximal Lactate Steady State in Running

Patrick Wahl
1   Department of Molecular and Cellular Sport Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular Research and Sport Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Germany
2   The German Research Centre of Elite Sport Cologne, German Sport University Cologne, Germany
,
Lukas Zwingmann
1   Department of Molecular and Cellular Sport Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular Research and Sport Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Germany
2   The German Research Centre of Elite Sport Cologne, German Sport University Cologne, Germany
,
Christian Manunzio
2   The German Research Centre of Elite Sport Cologne, German Sport University Cologne, Germany
3   Department of Preventive and Rehabilitative Sports and Performance Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Germany
,
Jacob Wolf
2   The German Research Centre of Elite Sport Cologne, German Sport University Cologne, Germany
,
Wilhelm Bloch
1   Department of Molecular and Cellular Sport Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular Research and Sport Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Germany
2   The German Research Centre of Elite Sport Cologne, German Sport University Cologne, Germany
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History



accepted 23 January 2018

Publication Date:
18 May 2018 (online)

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Abstract

This study evaluated the accuracy of the lactate minimum test, in comparison to a graded-exercise test and established threshold concepts (OBLA and mDmax) to determine running speed at maximal lactate steady state. Eighteen subjects performed a lactate minimum test, a graded-exercise test (2.4 m·s−1 start,+0.4 m·s−1 every 5 min) and 2 or more constant-speed tests of 30 min to determine running speed at maximal lactate steady state. The lactate minimum test consisted of an initial lactate priming segment, followed by a short recovery phase. Afterwards, the initial load of the subsequent incremental segment was individually determined and was increased by 0.1 m·s−1 every 120 s. Lactate minimum was determined by the lowest measured value (LMabs) and by a third-order polynomial (LMpol). The mean difference to maximal lactate steady state was+0.01±0.14 m·s−1 (LMabs), 0.04±0.15 m·s−1 (LMpol), –0.06±0.31 m·s1 (OBLA) and –0.08±0.21 m·s1 (mDmax). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between running velocity at maximal lactate steady state and LMabs was highest (ICC=0.964), followed by LMpol (ICC=0.956), mDmax (ICC=0.916) and OBLA (ICC=0.885). Due to the higher accuracy of the lactate minimum test to determine maximal lactate steady state compared to OBLA and mDmax, we suggest the lactate minimum test as a valid and meaningful concept to estimate running velocity at maximal lactate steady state in a single session for moderately up to well-trained athletes.

Key words

endurance performance - blood lactate concentration - VO2max - anaerobic threshold - performance diagnostics
 

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