Lactate Testing. The individual anaerobic threshold is the checkpoint for endurance training. It shows the intensity level of physical stress at which the body is no longer sufficiently able to decompose the lactate produced during aerobic respiration and begins to use glucose increasingly in anaerobic respiration. By means of the lactate test your personal endurance training zones are defined. They are defined by your heart rate and power specifications: Recovery training (KB), extensive endurance (G1), intensive endurance (G2), development zone (EB).

The lactate test is performed on an ergometer which is set to the load-dependent mode. The initial work-load is usually 100 watt for men and 80 watt for women. This load is then increased by 20 watt every 3 minutes until the athlete ends the test due to exhaustion.

A capillary blood sample form the athlete’s earlobe is taken at each intensity level just before every load increase and analyzed to determine the lactate concentration of the blood. The heart rate is also monitored and recorded throughout the test. Results are typically presented in a Lactate Performance Curve (LPC), which provides the basis for defining the individuals lactate thresholds and training zones.

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