Why an LT test?

The worst thing about triathlon is that there are only so many hours in the day. Most of those hours are spent appropriately on work, family, etc., so that leaves even fewer hours to train. Therefore it’s important to make those few training hours the most effective they can be. Here’s the best way to do just that.

Whether you train with a heart rate monitor or a power meter it’s important to know what that data is telling you. The problem is 150 beats per minute (bpm) to one person is not 150 bpm for another. Training at even 10 bpm too high or too low can mean you’re not developing the system you think you are and can mean wasted training time. This is where the proper training zones come in.

Ok, so how do you find your training zones? Are you willing to bet 600 hours a year and thousands of dollars on “220 minus your age” multiplied by standard percentages? I recommend being more accurate than that. The first step is to find your lactate threshold (LT) and aerobic threshold (AeT) heart rates (and power zones on the bike if applicable). From there we can accurately and scientifically find your unique training intensity zones. Even finding your LT is not enough. You need both LT and AeT to be most accurate.

So how do you find LT and AeT? The best way to do this is in a blood lactate test. In this test, we gradually increase your intensity while testing your blood lactate concentrations at specific intervals. From this data we can determine at which intensity your body begins to accumulate lactic acid and at what level your body is bathed in lactic acid. Those are AeT and LT respectively, from which your zones are anchored. We recommend a test for each the bike and the run as the LT and AeT zones can be significantly different.

So what’s next? Find a reputable coach or physiologist and get an LT test. Then have your coach find your training intensity zones. There are several zone protocols, so be sure your coach calculates your zones or you use the system with which he coaches. We at GEC use a 5-zone system: Recovery, Endurance, Tempo or Extensive Endurance, Threshold and Anaerobic Endurance or Power; and all of our plans and coaching use this system.

Contact any of the GEC coaches to schedule your LT test and get the most out of your limited training time.

Brian