Lactate Threshold (LT) Testing
The purpose of this test is to help you, the athlete, (a) establish training zones and (b) monitor training effectiveness across the course of the season. The work that an athlete can do at lactate threshold is highly predictive of performance across most if not all endurance types of sports. Most recently we found that watts at lactate threshold was an important discriminator of race finish for mountain bikers (i.e. the higher place finishers had higher watts at LT). It is also a test that is sensitive to endurance training status, i.e. it can change over the course of weeks depending on the type of training. Of all the tests this is probably the most valuable for endurance athlete, no matter what the discipline.
Protocol
Testing takes place either on a bicycle or a treadmill. The example below is for cycling, but the treadmill protocol is very similar.
You will ride on an electronically braked bicycle (this means that the workload stays the same even if you change the cadence) starting at a fairly easy load. After the first 4-minute stage we then increase the workload by 20 watts every 3-minutes. Before we increase the load we take a heart rate and blood lactate measurement (finger stick). You will ride for 7-8 stages, or until we see a break point in your blood lactate values. This break point area is known as your lactate threshold. You also might have heard it referred to as your anaerobic threshold. From this we can help you to determine at what heart rate zones or efforts that you need to be training to achieve different training adaptations.
Cost: $75
Note June 2007: I am not currently performing LT tests
Body Composition
It is not how much you weigh, or how much weight you gain or lose, but rather how much is lean tissue and how much is fat that counts. Whether you are concerned about athletic performance, how you compare to other athletes in your sport or your general health, this is the test for you. With this test we can provide you with an estimate of your percent body fat and your pounds and lean and fat tissue. A good comparison tool for when you are trying to gain or lose weight.
Protocol
We measure the skinfold thickness at seven different sites. It takes a trained professional to do it right and we have had experience on all shapes and sizes.
Cost: $25
Directions to the location:
I-25 South to Tejon exit. Right at end of ramp (this is Arvada). Take your first left which leads you up a steep hill. At the stopsign take a right onto Brookside. Take Brookside all the way till it T's into 8th St. Take a left on 8th St. Take 8th St till the first light, then left on Ramona. Ramona till first right on Apache Trail. I'm at 1608 Apache Trail (in the first block on the right).
What to bring to a bike LT test:
Road bike with slick rear tire, HR monitor if you have one, water, cycling gear, etc.