This period of the year, is definitely a period athletes need to plan a lactate test. Especially for athletes doing a regular cycling/running/triseason (march-october) Because a test can give us a view into the way to approach the athletes’ body, shape and future (short and long term) goals.
Many athletes make the large mistake to hunt down certain numbers, they look at the maximum output and not below, they chase a high HR , pace or wattage at their max level. Well, let that be a very wrong approach (especially in mid-winter).If u don’t have experience and know-how in evaluating tests, please stay far away from it. You can only abuse at that moment…
As we speak, we are testing athletes very intense for over 8years now and many of these tests are in my database. From Pro cyclists, Pro triathletes, Amateur world champions in duathlon and triathlon to absolute beginners in these sports.
For me as a coach, lactate testing also gives us a very nice view on an athletes’ macro-evolution (evolution during several years), or seasonal evolution. It can reassure us after a big block of training to look if we are ‘scoring’ around the same lactate profile as we did in earlier and SIMILAR training/racing periods. It can gives us the info to put the cherry on the big cake of training towards Championships. Or it can simply say: “Hey, that athlete really has work to do at certain points”.
Never forget testing is done to work with, ‘just’testing is useless. Training healthy always has to be the number 1 priority! If you don’t train on a (short-long term) healthy way you shouldn’t even be training at all!
Click here to see one of our athletes suffer on a running test
Train Smart, perform better,
Jesse Van Nieuwenhuyse
High performance coaching & Sportsconsultancy Trainingsbegeleiding en coaching Triatlon, Duatlon, Running , Cycling, wielrennen 