LT, AT, AnT, MLSS, Where Does it End?

I promised many weeks ago that I would talk more thresholds and where they came from.  Why?  Each of these thresholds represents a specific change in how our body responds to an increase in intensity that can be measured.  There are two ways a coach or athlete can look at thresholds.

1)      Physiology Point of View – training at or at a set % of a threshold is the “best” intensity to reach a training objective.   In other words, by training at a specific level identified through testing you can optimize your training time.  A good example of this, is to do 4*10min at your lactate threshold with 2min each in between.  The goal is to improve your performance at your lactate threshold which is believed to improve all speeds at lower intensities.

2)      Racing Point of View – testing and identifying thresholds define a coaches current training sessions with actual numbers to follow.  A coach like doing 2*15min tempo runs with 2min jogs in between.  He uses your lactate threshold data and wants you to run 7% slower than your speeds at lactate threshold so that you maintain a solid steady state run.

When I first started coaching I used to prescribe workouts primarily from the #1 view.  However, as I gained more and more practical experience I find it easier to coach from a system with the #2 view.  From a racing point of view, you can add more variety and reach the same (or maybe even better) results.  Also, from #1 to really work well, you need to re-test frequently and/or monitor training closely.  Not many athletes can afford the costs of this type of training nor can they afford the time it takes.

Nonetheless, I still think physiological testing is beneficial whether it be a VO2max test or a lactate profile test at some time in your season.   An early season test is nice to set benchmarks and regain confidence that you are training in the right zones.  The physiological tests are obviously very objective and can help solve training problems if an athlete strays off course.

Now, what do the abbreviations mean?   I am going to start with LT (lactate threshold) and summarize my favourite article on the subject.  In future blogs, I will go over other abbreviations.

LT (lactate threshold)

“Highest metabolic rate obtainable, while keeping the blood lactate at a steady state, is referred to as the lactate threshold.”  Kelly, J.M. “Lactate Threshold”, Journal of Minnesota Academy of Science V.54, #3, 1989.

That is my favourite definition found in the literature.  For any given sport, that basically equates to the highest speed obtainable without a substantial rise in lactate.  What is substantial?  That depends on your measurement accuracy.  Basically, any amount that falls above the error of your instrument and tester.

How is it measured? Dr. Kelly wrote that (in not so many words) lactate should be measured multiple times within a 30 minute session to ensure that it remains at the same level.  If it goes to high, then LT was overestimated.  If it goes lower, then LT was underestimated.  The first test may take 3 or more trials but follow up tests could be done in one trial.  And you can get more creative than that.

BTW, measuring LT this way equates to what a runner can maintain for around an hour if not more.  Marathon runners would have to run slightly below LT to pace correctly.  For races under an hour, the athlete would be able to hold a pace slightly higher than LT.

So, the physiologist would do the test and then prescribe tempo runs of 20-40minutes with warm-up or cool-down and they may even break it into different intervals.  Whereas, an athlete without a lab could do the exact same test by doing a 60min time trial.

Lastly, lactate testing and the knowledge of lactates roll in exercise may be new to you and some may make it sound like a brand new way of training, however, it has been around for awhile.  In the same article, Dr. Kelly points out that LT testing was developed in the 1970s and 80s, however, it was based on research done in the 20s and 30s.

Till next time…Scott