WHAT IS LACTATE AND WHY MEASURE IT? For many years, Lactate (a.k.a. "lactic acid") was considered the "enemy" of hard-working athletes, and was blamed for everything from fatigue during competition to soreness afterwards. It was believed that easy exercise was "aerobic," while intense exercise was "anaerobic," and that those processes were mutually exclusive. We now know that aerobic and anaerobic processes are BOTH going on during most activities, with your body adjusting the two processes based on the energy demands.
Lactate is produced by the anaerobic energy processes in the working muscles during exercise, with more being produced if aerobic (i.e. oxygen-dependent) processes are insufficient to regenerate enough ATP (the immediate energy source for muscle work). Lactate itself is then recycled, i.e. used as a complex fuel source by the heart muscle as well as skeletal muscles for further aerobic energy production. It is neither the major factor in fatigue, nor the cause of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). If the production of lactate exceeds its subsequent use by the muscles, then excess builds up in the blood.
Measuring lactate build-up (in the blood) is very important in determining your aerobic AND anaerobic fitness. Only by measuring lactate levels, can we see how your body balances the two processes and determine your endurance (and sprint) potential. When we measure VO2 max, we only see how much energy your body can produce at maximum output; we can't tell what energy level you can maintain during an endurance event, or what type and intensity of training is best for you.
ONLY LACTATE TESTING CAN TELL US YOUR PRECISE AND PERSONAL FITNESS LEVEL AND TRAINING ZONES!
WHY LACTATE BALANCE POINT? Most sports scientists attempt to determine a "lactate threshold," that level of effort which causes your muscles to suddenly and rapidly increase the amount of lactate production. Unfortunately, this approach is neither individualized nor especially useful: because they look for an arbitrary concentration of lactate [usually 4 mmol or higher], they miss the point [literally and figuratively]. Juerg Feldmann and Herb Chlebek of FaCT Canada have developed a more precise testing protocol. In the FaCT test, we determine each athlete's personal Lactate Balance Point (LBP), which is the precise level of effort at which the working muscles can no longer process all of the lactate being produced, gradually leading to overload. With LBP, along with VO2and heart rate data, we can determine your optimum training zones - for any type of endurance or sports training. This is a radical new approach, which provides precise scientific information with significant practical benefits for athletes who want to improve their performance.
FaCT LBP test profile
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? $175 ($165 for Sport & Health members) includes FaCT Lactate Balance Point assessment, results, training zone calculation and training recommendations.
Series Price: $450 ($420 for Sport & Health members) for a series of 3 tests - use anytime within 2 years.
Package Price: $275 fee* ($265 for Sport & Health members) includes Lactate, VO2 and heart rate testing, to allow more accurate determination of fitness levels and training zones. Package Series: $750 fee* ($720 for Sport & Health members) for a series of 3 combined tests - use anytime within 2 years.
*$45 mask fee additional - only for your first test, then keep your oxygen mask and reuse on future tests.
