06/10/2023
Lactate Threshold (LT) vs Vo2MAx Training?
Lactate Threshold (LT)
“During exercise, lactate naturally spills into your bloodstream as your body attempts to increase the breakdown of glucose for energy production. As intensity increases and energy demands can no longer be met entirely with aerobic energy systems, blood lactate levels begin to rise, and other biochemical and neurological processes prevent that intensity from being sustained for very long. If you train your body to better withstand more intense exercise, you’ll therefore be able to perform longer and harder.
LT is usually defined by an athlete’s ability to endure 40-60 minutes of maximum steady-state effort.
Training plans based on LT will increase efficiency and reduce the risk of injury and illness, effectively making you a higher-performing athlete.”
VO2 max:
“VO2 max is defined as the maximum volume of oxygen per minute that an athlete can capture from the air, fix at the pulmonary level, transport and utilize. Efforts at your VO2 max are well above your LT and can approximately be held between 6 and 10 minutes (though this depends on the amount of training as well as genetics). Though VO2 max has become widely revered as a top training metric, it is considerably less trainable than LT, as improvements are usually highly related to body weight changes.
LT Training or VO2 Max Training?
“For long-distance endurance athletes, LT should be the priority physiological marker to develop because it’s less risky in terms of injury and less aggressive for the body and mind. Even if you don’t have a high VO2 max, keep training. Those who work on efficiency and consistency are always rewarded!”
Examples of LT Training Sessions:
* 6-10 x 1 km, with 1-1.5 minutes of active recovery before starting the next repetition
*3-4 x 3 km, with 3 minutes of active recovery jogging
From:
All You Need to Know About LT and VO2 MAX - Sérgio Santos, TrainingPeaks Level 2 coach, level III Triathlon Coach and Brazilian Performance Director.
