How To Determine Lactate Threshold Heart Rate

Why Should You Know Your Own Lactate Threshold Heart Rate

Many people are confused by this term, the definition of lactate threshold heart rate is is a measurement of the level of exercise intensity in which the body can no longer clear any one of the by-products created by exercise, and as a result there is an accumulation of these by-products in the blood. The result is the burning feeling which is felt in the muscles during extreme load such as lifting weights, endurance racing, and other such intense exercise.

The reason that you need to determine your own specific lactate threshold heart rate, Exercising within your target heart rate zone has important long-term health implications.

The aerobic base is derived by analyzing where your lactate threshold heart rate is. typically 65% to 75% of your lactate threshold heart rate is your aerobic base.

It burns fat and aids weight loss, and reduces the risk of obesity, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, some types of cancer, and diabetes. It helps prevent heart disease and reduces the risk of heart attack.

Aerobic exercise even helps to ease depression and improves mood. All in all, regular aerobic activity promotes general well-being, and helps to ensure you stay healthy, fit and active in your later years. In order to train your heart and lungs – which make up your aerobic system and to be an strong endurance athlete, you need to work on developing a solid aerobic base.

Some have used a simple formula as a basic guideline to determine their aerobic base, typically 220 minus their age and then multiply by 60% as well as 90%.

As an example, a 30-year old would calculate his optimal heart rate zone using the formula: 220-30=190. 190x.60=114 and 190x.90=171. This individual would try to keep his heart rate between 114 (aerobic base) and 171 (lactate threshold) beats per minute. ( this does not allow for other factors )

This is not a very accurate formula as it is simply far too vague and general for everyone to use.

To accurately determine your own individual lactate threshold heart rate, you would need to visit your doctor or exercise physiologist for an endurance test where blood tests would be administered while exercising.

You can also use a heart rate monitor

and do a self assessment while running or cycling and measure your heart rates in a 30 minute field test. Start the heart rate monitor to begin recording from the beginning of the trial and push yourself to complete the interval, just not so hard that you need to slow down significantly at the end. You should start the first 10 minutes easily and accelerate your way up to what feels like your max. output. You can roughly determine your own lactate threshold heart rate by calculating your average heart rate over the 30 minute duration.

Of course this won’t be 100% scientifically accurate, but it will be close enough to understand your own rough lactate threshold heart rate and from there, be able to estimate your own aerobic base.

For example, if your estimated lactate threshold heart rate is 120, then you want to be exercising at 65%-75% of that, or 78-90 beats, for as long as possible. As a multisports athlete or triathlete, this develops your aerobic base and strengthens your heart and lungs in the most efficient manner for endurance sports.

Once you’ve established a solid aerobic base fitness level, then you can focus on other aspects such as developing sports specific strength for swimming, biking, or running by weight training, thus allowing for faster times in each component of your triathlon event and ultimately your overall finish.

The other benefits of a heart rate monitor are as follows:

1. – Improves your level of fitness by monitoring your heart rate. Monitoring your heart rate keeps you in the “zone”.
2. Is an aid to prevent injury by monitoring your heart rate, if your heart rate climbs too high, you can slow down accordingly.
3. It helps in monitoring you overall level of fitness. You can see improvements with time, and makes your progress measurable.
4. It  can motivate you  and help with better performance as long as you do not become a slave to it
5. . It can make  goals  measurable and thereby not so subjective
6. It allows for effective and efficient exercise  which is important if you are counting calories to loose weight
   

What it does not allow for is what is known as heart rate drift, as with all techno toys  they are and aid and a measurement  tool not  the absolute authority

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