title: Investigations of the lactate minimum test.
abstract: We evaluated: the agreement between lactate minimum and maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) cycling powers (study 1); whether rates of change of blood lactate concentration during the lactate minimum test reflect that of constant power exercise (study 2); whether the lactate minimum power is influenced by the muscle groups used to elevate blood lactate concentration (study 3). Study 1: 32 subjects performed a lactate minimum test comprising a lactate elevation phase, recovery phase, and incremental phase (five 4 min stages); MLSS was subsequently determined. Study 2: 8 subjects performed a lactate minimum test and five 22 min constant power tests at the incremental phase exercise intensities. Study 3: 10 subjects performed two identical lactate minimum tests, except during the second test the lactate elevation phase comprised arm-cranking. Lactate minimum and MLSS powers demonstrated good agreement (mean bias+/-95% limits of agreement: 2+/-22 W). Rates of change of blood lactate concentration during each incremental phase stage and corresponding constant power test did not correlate. Lactate minimum power was lowered when arm-cranking was used during the lactate elevation phase (157+/-29 vs. 168+/-21 W; p<0.05). The lactate elevation phase modifies blood lactate concentration responses during the incremental phase, thus good agreement between lactate minimum and MLSS powers seems fortuitous.
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom. michael.johnson@ntu.ac.uk
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Sharpe
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid