Lactate Testing for Triathlon Coaches

State of the Art Information and Low Prices

Lactate testing has been the cornerstone of testing for coaches and athletes in several sports for almost 40 years, primarily because no other practical type of testing can provide the information that lactate testing can. However, it has generally been reserved for elite athletes since they were the ones that could afford the sports scientist and exercise lab. But now the low prices of a portable lactate analyzer (as low as $280 for analyzer) is less than many heart rate monitors and the information to use the lactate results is readily available. (See Secrets of Lactate CD-ROM)

So now, anyone who is competitive, serious about reaching their potential and willing to take the extra effort that this type of testing involves, can reap the benefits of the feedback that lactate testing provides. Continue on and learn the answers to the following questions and a lot more.

• Why is it not very important to measure the Lactate Threshold/Anaerobic Threshold anymore? What is considered a better approach?

• What's the best way to use a heart rate monitor and why can heart rate not tell triathletes the important information they need for training and competing?

• Why are sprint and intense anaerobic sets important for the Ironman? When are they important?

• Which of the three disciplines gets first priority in testing? Swimming? Cycling? or Running? What is second priority?

• How is the preparation for an Ironman different from preparation for an Olympic length triathlon?

Read the following sections in order or browse as you want. The information in these pages will help you train smarter for the triathlon of your choice.

Why Test? Lactate. What lactate testing tells you that other tests won't. Other measures. Are they useful? Heart Rates. Why heart rate measures cannot tell you the important information. When are heart rate measurements useful? New Point of View on Anaerobic Threshold .Why it is not necessary to know the Aerobic Threshold, the Anaerobic Threshold or the Lactate Threshold anymore.	Testing - Consistency Importance of Consistency. What affects a test result? Before you do any testing, lactate or otherwise, you should know what will affect the result. Testing - Framework Types of Tests and Information Provided.What type of information can lactate testing tell you? Priorities.What should your priorities in testing be? Why? Protocols. What type of tests should the recreational triathlete use? the serious triathlete?	Testing - Meaning Factors Affecting Interpretation and Training Advice Example - Swimming. Example - Cycling Example - Running About the Author Jan Olbrecht has provides training advice to several world class athletes in triathlon, swimming, running and other sports including Luc Van Lierde, Kathleen Smet and Pieter van den Hoogenband.