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Guided lactate threshold test accuracy

I’ve been thinking about doing the Garmin guided lactate threshold test lately. Now I’m wondering, has anybody ever done both the Garmin lactate threshold test(withits 4 min steps) and got their lactate threshold HR tested professionally in a lab? How close is the heart rate your Garmin gave you after finishing the guided test (being done correctly) to the results from the lab?

Also, I’d like to know if the Garmin test makes you go until failure, so I can mentally prepare myself. Hope you guys can help me.

0 trux over 1 year ago

I did not test my LTHR in a lab, so cannot comment on that part.

As for the Guided LT Test itself, there is a warm-up at slow pace for 10-15 minutes, and then several steps with increasing intensity targets with the duration of 3-4 minutes till the LT is detected or Max HR reached (in my case there were 3 stages of 4 minutes + the last one of 3 minutes). The intensity targets start somewhere in the middle of HR Zone 3, and end in HRZ 5.

Whether you have to go till failure depends especially on the accuracy of your Max HR. If the Max HR is correct (and not only the age based formula), the LT should be detected before you reach the Max HR, so you should be able to sustain it. Having the Max HR set too low or too high will make the detection of LTHR through the HRV measurement, difficult or impossible.

Please note, that you need a HRM chest strap for the LTHR detection.

Some reading available also here: