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Lactate threshold pace - probably algorithm needs some improvement

ReliefPL
over 3 years ago

For a long time I have strong impression that my lactate threshold (even though it is very rarely detected, like once a month) is a waaaay underestimated.

Just example: last year my F6 detected LT pace as 4:04, just after 21.1 km PB of 1:24:28 (pace 4:00). Between August and today it improved to 4:02. Today, I made another PB, 1:22:30 (avg pace 3:54) and my Epix told me it has detected new LT: 4:04. 

I doubt it could be possible to run half marathon with avg pace 10 seconds/km faster than LT pace. With such accuracy this metric is totally useless.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to micro

    I'm on Fenix 5+, not Epix 2, but I've noticed that the automatic lactate threshold detection is not very useful for getting a reliable lactate threshold pace if you run in varying terrain with up and dowhills etc. The detected threshold pace varies a lot depending on what the terrain was like when the watch though you hit the threshold.

    And there's probably not much that Garmin can do about this, since those elevation differences mess up both the pace and your HR. Even the guided lactate threshold test on your watch ofter refuses to give the threshold in such circumstances.

    I've switched the automatic detection off and do the guided test on a running track from time to time to update the threshold.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to Bitti

    I run majority of my runs on flat terrain, in fact on track most of the time.

  • 0 8 months ago

    Doing some search on this topic and finding this thread. I find the same issue, I ran a PB half marathon recently at 1h40min (4:45 avg pace) and my reported LT pace is 4:55. Not so different, but still... HM pace should be slightly below LT pace as Garmin says their estimation of LT should fall somewhere between 10K and HM...
    Strange thing is that race time prediction algorithm for 10K & 21K (in my case) falls pretty accurate. Looks like Garmin doesn't use it to evaluate LT pace, giving inconsistent values.

    edit : interesting read
    Garmin Fénix 7® Underestimates Performance at the Lactate Threshold in Comparison to Standardized Blood Lactate Field Test - PMC (nih.gov)