Stability of the blood lactate-heart rate relationship in competitive athletes

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Abstract
Stability of the blood lactate-heart rate relationship in competitive athletes. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 578-582, 1999. The identification of the HR (or RPE) associated with blood lactate concentrations of 2.5 mmol·L−1 (aerobic threshold) (AerT) and 4.0 mmol·L−1 (anaerobic threshold) (AnT) is a common method for defining training intensities. It is often assumed that the HR at AerT and AnT changes with changes in fitness, much as the power output (Watts: W) associated with AerT and AnT is known to change. We studied speed skaters (N = 13, 7 male, 6 female) during spring (deconditioned) and fall (conditioned) evaluations, using cycle ergometry (stage duration = 5 min) to determine W, HR, and RPE at AerT, AnT, and at maximal exercise (3000 (female) and 5000 (male) m cycle time trials). In the spring vs fall evaluations, the power output at AerT was 127 ± 12 vs 162 ± 9 W (P P These data suggest that although power output at AerT, AnT, and maximal exercise changes significantly with conditioning, there is no systematic change in the associated values for HR and/or RPE used as practical markers of training intensity. Accordingly, a single well-conducted evaluation may allow evaluation of appropriate training markers that may be longitudinally stable.