LACTATE TESTING FOR RUNNING

 

Reach Your True Running Potential - By Using Your Unique Scientific Data  

As an endurance athlete who wants to maximise time training effectively to reach your true potential, knowing your blood lactate levels is extremely beneficial and is the main marker used by World Class athletes and Coaches as an important determinant of your current fitness level and guides your future training plan.

 

A lactate test provides: - 

ACCURATE PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA

To guide and monitor your training by. Extremely useful performance indicator to identify current achievable times over various distances.

IDENTIFY YOUR SUITED DISTANCE

Indicator of which event (distance), your greatest potential is likely to be achieved. 

 

ACCURATE MARATHON FINISH TIME PREDICTION

Very accurate indicator of current marathon potential time (after following a period of training). 

WORLD CLASS TESTING 

Lactate threshold is one of the most effective performance markers used by many elite athletes and World Class coaches including the “Breaking2“ Project! 

Lactate And Why It Matters? 

 

Lactate is the by-product of glucose utilisation by muscle cells. Skeletal muscle glucose uptake increases dramatically in response to exercise and a higher amount of lactate is produced which is many times higher than that at rest.

 

Your lactate threshold essentially defines the upper limit of your sustainable efforts in training and competition.

 

The accumulation of blood lactate as your speed and work rate increases will hinder your muscles ability to contract, and you will be forced to slow down or stop. The more work you can do before reaching lactate threshold, the better. If the pace you can hold at your lactate threshold is higher than the pace your competitor can hold at his or her lactate threshold, you go faster, reach the finish first, and win.

 

FACT

The better the competitive and training level of an endurance athlete is, the less blood lactate accumulation is observed at a given speed. 

Lactate Testing - What Does It Measure?

At rest and under steady-state exercise conditions, there is a balance between blood lactate production and blood lactate removal.  Blood lactate can be measured  by running on a treadmill at increasing speeds interspersed with taking blood samples via a pin prick to measure blood lactate and find your LACTATE THRESHOLD (LT1) and Maximal Steady State (LT2). 

 

◼️LT1 in simple terms is defined as the exercise intensity (running speed) corresponding to the first increase in blood lactate above baseline levels (Jones et al, 2021). The speed at LT1 is suggested to be very closely related to the speed that can sustained over a marathon. 

 

◼️LT2 has been defined as the running speed at which a sudden and sustained increase in blood lactate is observed (Jones et al, 2021). The speed at LT2 can be maintained for around 60 mins in trained runners and can be closely related to those speeds maintained in 10 miles to 1/2 marathon events. 

 

✔️Finding these changes in blood lactate related to a given speed with simultaneous monitoring of your heart rate means that you can very accurately train to improve your performance. The aim is to work in specific heart rate zones to improve the speed at which you can run before there is a marked change in your blood lactate levels. 

Reference 

Jones, Andrew & Kirby, Brett & Clark, Ida & Rice, Hannah & Fulkerson, Elizabeth & Wylie, Lee & Wilkerson, Daryl & Vanhatalo, Anni & Wilkins, Brad. (2020). Physiological demands of running at 2-hour marathon race pace. Journal of Applied Physiology. 130. 10.1152/japplphysiol.00647.2020. 

 

Who Conducts The Test At The Clinic? 

David Tune is our Running Coach. A former Senior Great Britain and England International (1986-2000), David now competes in the Masters V50 age group. 

Personal Best’s 

5000m 14:03

10K 29:03

1/2 Marathon 63:11

V45 Marathon 2:41

David has been lactate testing and coaching at the clinic since 2012 and conducted over 1500 tests. Prior to opening the clinic with his now wife, physiotherapist and runner Jenny Blizard, he helped coach Jenny to achieve Great Britain International selection in 2006. 

 

Test Booked, What Happens Next? 

Form Completion

As soon as your test is booked, you will be emailed a comprehensive form to complete. It is really important that you provide as much accurate detail as possible and return 48 hours before your test. David will spend a considerable amount of time planning your test. It is vital that he is able to obtain LT1 and LT2 levels within 12 to 20 minutes of running (after a warm up).  Starting the treadmill speed too fast or too slow will affect this. David will also want to get an understanding of your running history, goals and lifestyle so that he can provide both an achievable and holistic plan for you. 

Body Composition and Lung Function Tests 

Before starting on the treadmill you will be taken through a full range of tests getting markers of body composition, lung function, iron levels and mobility. These markers help to ensure that you are healthy enough to commence a training program and as further performance markers to review in subsequent tests.

Treadmill Test 

Time for the actual test! You will be given time to complete a really easy warm up on the treadmill. David will then start moving you through 3 minutes of running increments at increasing speeds interspersed with short breaks to take a finger prick blood test until he obtains the data he requires or you voluntary terminate the test. 

 

Test Completed. Time To Chat and Plan

Your personal test data is summarised into a report and discussed in full in your session.

 

We will talk through: -

 

✔️ Your current and future potential over a variety of distances 

 

✔️What your heart rate levels mean for your future training schedule

 

✔️Give you personal recommendations on sessions to complete that are relevant for race goals

 

✔️Provide a program unique to you and designed to maximise your potential

 

✔️You will be given the opportunity to ask questions

 

Time To Get Running! 

Once you have finished your appointment, it is time to begin your plan and start to progress towards your goals. Your report provides all you need to get started, including answering many of your initial questions that might arise once you start training. 

Follow Up Video Call 

After starting your plan and making some initial progress, it is natural that you will have questions to ask and your program may need tweaking which is why David encourages  you to book a video/phone call. 

 

We welcome your questions and encourage you to 
communicate via email over your initial few weeks. It is vital that you follow and understand your individual plan. 
 

Lactate Threshold Test

£125

Included

 

  • Lactate Test (allow 90 minutes)
  • Comprehensive Report
  • Weekly Training Plan 
  • Heart Rate Training Zone
  • Sample Sessions For Each Zone
  • Predicted Race Goal Time
  • Preferable Race Distance 
  • Follow Up Call/Video Chat at 8 weeks
BOOK YOUR TEST HERE

Still Not Sure?

Here Is What Other  Runners Have To Say

Matthew Mclaughlin

Unbelievable service. I feel so much more educated now and have a programme to get fitter and stronger. Dave Tune was absolutely fantastic . Really looking forward to seeing the results. Thanks Team Blizard. 

Jason Cherriman

 Dave was clearly very knowledgeable about the physiology of distance running and what is needed to improve. I found him to be extremely engaging and the test itself whilst a decent hard run was fun and informative. A very worth while use of my time and inarguably incredibly good value.

Frequently Asked Questions