The lactate that is built up then has nowhere to go so is in and around the muscles and blood stream causing blockages. This is what causes the legs to feel heavy after periods of sustained exercise.
Once oxygen is available the oxygen is used in a chemical reaction to convert the lactate back into pyruvate and co2 which can then be dispersed thus freeing up the muscles.
During this test the heart rate of the athlete is also monitored and recorded, therefore when the lactate threshold is reached the heart rate at which it was reached is determined. This information can then be taken to the coach and used in training, as the coach will know at what intensity to peak and plateau the athlete at.
Therefore the rationale for this lab report is to obtain a lactate threshold level for a participant in order for them to maximise their training.
Method: Table 1
The participant turned up to the test dressed in the appropriate clothing for the event. Once there a consent form and Par Q were signed to ensure good health of the participant, the measures and statures of the participant were then recorded. Once completed the participant undertook a 2 min running warm-up on the Woodway treadmill, then a lower limb stretch was done.
The treadmill computer was then programmed to conduct the appropriate test, the levels were dictated due to the participant predicting their fitness level against table 1.
The participant ran for as many four minute stages with a one minute rest in between as possible, with the level increasing at each stage.
During the one minute rest period a blood sample was taken and a lactate level recorded. The Oxygen level was monitored throughout the duration of the test. At the end of the test a 2 minute cool down was performed to reduce the participant’s heart rate.
Results:
Subject: Age 19
Height 171cm
Weight 82kg
Equipment used: Borg’s RPE scale
K4 b2
Woodway treadmill
Stopwatch
Polar heart rate monitor
YSI 2300 blood lactate measurer
Table 2:
As it is clear to see from the graph 1 the line of best fit meets at approximately the 11kmph speed margin. Therefore in table 2 the HR of the participant at speed 11 would have been just over 182bpm.
