The Lactate Threshold If VO2 max is your aerobic endurance
potential then your lactate threshold plays a significant role
in how much of that potential you are tapping. Lactate threshold
has been defined as: The point during exercise of increasing
intensity at which blood lactate begins to accumulate above
resting levels, where lactate clearance is no longer able to
keep up with lactate production. (3) During low intensity
exercise, blood lactate remains at or near to resting levels. As
exercise intensity increases there comes a break point where
blood lactate levels rise sharply (4,5). Researchers in the past
have suggested that this signifies a significant shift from
predominantly aerobic metabolism to predominantly anaerobic
energy production. Several terms have been used to describe this
shift and many coaches and athletes believe it is the same
phenomenon: Onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) Maximal
lactate steady state Although these terms are used
interchangeably, they do not describe the same t