Lactate Threshold Heart Rate

Lactate or Lactic Acid is a by product which builds up in your muscles when you over exercise.  When you are performing aerobic (with oxygen) exercise you are providing your body with adequate oxygen so that lactate is removed at the same rate it is being produced.  However, as you exercise faster and faster, you eventually get to a point where your breathing cannot supply enough oxygen.  Your exercise is then said to cross over into the anaerobic (without oxygen) phase.  Anaerobic exercise causes a rapid build up of lactate in the muscles.  This build up of lactate causes burning in the muscles and eventually leads to "burn out" or that feeling of "hitting the wall".  That point at which aerobic exercise turns to anaerobic exercise is referred to as your "Lactate Threshold".  A heart monitor will show a very specific heart rate as you cross over this point.  The heart rate at Lactate Threshold is referred to "Lactate Threshold Heart Rate".

If you have a heart monitor and by knowing your LTHR, you will know how to train and improve your performance during exercise.  This applies to all types of aerobic exercise (biking, running, swimming, etc.).  LTHR training is automatically adjusted for your personal performance and capabilities.  Heart Rate monitoring is more accurate than just miles per hour, etc. because it accounts for other factors such as hills, temperature, wind, fatigue, etc.  Your heart rate is a true measurement of how you feel and how you're doing at that moment.

By training at or just under your LTHR, you will improve your performance and be able to train closer to your maximum without "burning out" early.  You will know exactly where and when your body "red lines" so you will know when to attack and when to back off.  Untrained athletes train at about 80% of their capability while trained athletes train at about 90% of their capability.  By training at or just below your LTHR you will increase your lactate threshold and lactate tolerance.  You will improve your Tempo because you will know exactly what speed to maintain without going over or under your capability.  In other words; you'll know when your overdoing it or when you're not working hard enough.

How to obtain your Lactate Threshold  Heart Rate

Exact determination of your personal LTHR would have to be done in a laboratory in which blood samples are periodically taken during exercise.  However, you can determine a fairly accurate assessment of your LTHR if you have a heart monitor that records your average heart rate and are willing to do a 30 minute exercise test.  If you are not used to exercising at your maximal capability you should not perform this test without first checking with your physician. 

If you don't own a heart monitor, here are a few websites to check out:

http://www.ciclosportusa.com/hac4.htm

www.polarusa.com

www.cardiosport.com

http://www.heartmonitors.com/heartmonitors.html

Here's all you do.  Find a coarse that is flat or uphill that you can endure for 30 minutes without stopping or coasting.  Then do a quick warm up, start your heart monitor and go as fast as you can for 30 minutes.  Stop the heart monitor and record your average heart rate.  This average is your LTHR.

Heart Rate Training Zones

Heart Rate Training Calculator