Effect of ramp slope on different methods to determine lactate threshold in semi-professional soccer players

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of stage duration in incremental protocols on lactate threshold (LT), determined by different methods. Sixteen semi-professional soccer-players performed a 4-min stage incremental discontinuous (DP) and two maximal incremental running continuous (1 km h⁻¹· min⁻¹, CP1; and 1 km h⁻¹·2 min⁻¹ CP2) protocols. Blood-lactate concentration [La⁻] was measured at baseline and during the protocols. LT was determined using D_MAX, D_MAX-MOD, 4-mM⋅L⁻¹, Δ1-mM⋅L⁻¹ and Log-Log methods. Log-Log showed no difference in LT between CP1, CP2 and DP. Conversely, LT was determined at higher velocity in CP1 than CP2 for D_MAX (15.2 ± 0.5 vs 14.4 ± 1.2 km⋅h⁻¹, P = 0.002), D_MAX-MOD (16.0 ± 0.5 vs 14.7 ± 1.3 km⋅h⁻¹, P < 0.001), 4-mM⋅L⁻¹ (15.5 ± 1.4 vs 14.4 ± 1.2 km⋅h⁻¹, P < 0.001), Δ1-mM⋅L⁻¹ (15.5 ± 1.3 vs 14.4 ± 1.2 km⋅h⁻¹, P < 0.001). Higher LT in CP1 than DP for D_MAX (15.2 ± 0.5 vs 13.0 ± 1.0 km⋅h⁻¹, P < 0.001) and D_MAX-MOD (16.0 ± 0.5 vs 13.6 ± 1.6 km⋅h⁻¹, P < 0.001) was found (P < 0.001). Log-Log resulted in shorter but accurate protocols to determine LT.

KEYWORDS:

• Incremental exercise test
• maximal oxygen consumption
• constant load test
• running

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank all the participants of the study for their committed effort. The authors declare no conflict of interest. The results of the current study do not constitute endorsement of the product by the authors of the journal. The authors have no conflict of interest.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.