Reliability and Validity of the Lactate Pro 2 Analyzer

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the reliability of the portable Lactate Pro 2 analyzer (LP2), and its validity compared to a laboratory-based analyzer, YSI 1500 Sport (YSI). Blood samples (n = 258) were collected during 44 graded incremental rowing tests, with data from 17 tests used to quantify load, heart rate, and oxygen consumption at lactate threshold. Inter-LP2 reliability was high with coefficient of variation = 3.3%; Bland Altman 95% limits of agreement varied from ± 0.3 mmol.L⁻¹ for blood lactate (BLa) ≤4.0 mmol.L⁻¹ to −1.6 to +1.4 mmol.L⁻¹ for BLa >8.0 mmol.L⁻¹, with minimal systematic bias. Despite LP2 measurements being ~1.42 times higher than YSI measurements, no significant differences (P > .05) were detected when quantifying load, heart rate, or oxygen consumption data at lactate threshold. The results support using different LP2 devices interchangeably, especially when BLa ≤ 8 mmol.L⁻¹, and using the LP2 to identify training intensities at lactate threshold.

KEYWORDS:

• Portable lactate analyzers
• lactate threshold
• Bland-Altman limits of agreement
• Dmax
• YSI 1500 Sport

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the rowers who participated in the study and Mr. Richard Ruggieri, the coach of the men’s senior rowing team at Trinity College Dublin.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.