This eBook contains all the essential
information you need to train better than ever -- or even begin your first
program.
Coach Fred Matheny delivers time-honored advice as well as the most-current
techniques, and he does it in his friendly, understandable style with plenty of
examples.
Want to know the training secret that helped make
Lance Armstrong so
great? It's here, revealed in a way
that enables you to apply it to your own program!
Here's a portion of Chapter 10: Raising
Lactate Threshold. In it, Fred tells why LT is so crucial to higher
performance. This sets the stage for his disclosure of Lance's training secret.
Then Fred provides expert advice for increasing your LT to reap big
benefits -- just like pro road racers do.
EXCERPT: LT Defined
Lactate
threshold is the exertion level beyond which your body can no longer produce
energy aerobically. Additional intense work means your body can’t deal with the
resulting buildup of lactic acid (lactate). Excess lactate is marked by muscle
fatigue, pain and shallow, rapid breathing. LT was formerly called anaerobic
threshold (AT) but this designation is now dated. In scientific papers it’s
sometimes referred to as OBLA (onset of blood lactate accumulation).
How LT Is Measured
LT can be measured in the lab with a relatively simple but
invasive procedure. On a stationary bike, the cyclist rides at steadily
increasing resistance while the lab technician takes a blood sample from his
fingertips every minute. Lactate circulates in the blood and LT is defined as a
specific arbitrary amount—usually 4 millimoles.
LT also can
be measured, although not quite as accurately, on the bike—and you won’t have to
suffer getting your fingertips perforated. Basically, LT is the maximum
intensity a rider can sustain for a 30- to 60-minute time trial. This intensity
can be measured in watts or heart rate. Ground speed, the simplest method, can
be deceiving because it takes more power to ride at, say, 25 mph into a headwind
than with a tailwind.
To
determine your lactate threshold, wear your heart monitor, warm up thoroughly,
then ride a time trial of at least 10 miles on a flat course. Your average heart
rate for the distance is your LT. (It’s ideal to have a heart monitor that
calculates average heart rate.) To double check, do this test again at least one
week later. Try to be well rested for each test.
CAUTION! Lactate
threshold testing and LT training are extremely strenuous. Please get your
doctor’s approval, especially if you are over 35, have any type of
cardiovascular problem, or are not used to this type of exertion. Play it safe
so you can ride with confidence.
Why LT Is Important
The more
power you can generate without going over your lactate threshold and becoming
anaerobic, the faster you can go at a given heart rate.
EXAMPLE!
Suppose Mick generates 300 watts at LT while Rod puts
out 250. On a race’s early hills, Mick pushes the pace at an effort equal to 280
watts. He’s still under his LT, riding hard but in control. To keep up, Rod has
to go over his LT and into oxygen debt. On the last and deciding climb, guess
which rider still has something left?
This is all
fine for racers, but why is LT important for a recreational rider?
The ability
to produce more power at a comfortable heart rate means you’ll go faster with
the same effort. Your time for centuries will improve. When your companions on
the Sunday morning group ride are gasping on a climb, you’ll still be in your
comfort zone.
