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Lactate Threshold Test Frequency

Fredrik_Coulter
over 5 years ago

My daughter was very kind and bought me a Garmin chest strap for my birthday.  Among other things, this gives me the option of taking the Lactate Threshold Test (https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/forerunner945/EN-US/GUID-1B0C9B93-01CD-4A0C-A30F-B815C0347159.html).  I think I'll take it this weekend.

But there's one question that isn't answered in the manual: How often should you take the test?  Weekly?  Monthly?  Quarterly?  Yearly?  When you buy a new Garmin watch?

And how often do you take the test?

  • 0 over 5 years ago
    Fredrik_Coulter said:
    How often should you take the test?

    I never made the test. The watch will occasionally detect a lactate threshold just by itself, once an activity has been done which meets certain conditions.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to tmk2

    indeed. works perfectly

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    Amongst regular runners LTHR only varies by a few beats per minute over time. However, PACE at LTHR does vary more, depending on how much threshold work you have been doing.

    If you are using LTHR to set training zones, and using HR to guide your efforts, you probably don't need to retest all that often. Annually is probably fine (or just retest if you are coming off a break in running)

    If you are using pace to guide your efforts, then you may want to test more frequently. Pace @ LTHR can also be confirmation of training effectiveness if you are targetting 5K or 10K events.

    I think I took the test when I got my new watch, triggered the LTHR autodetect a few times in the couple of months after with some 5K training, haven't bothered since as I'm looking at longer distances.