Y1 - Lactate Thresholds, Its Fate and Testing

Question 1

What is lactate threshold?

Answer 1

The point during exercise at which lactate starts to accumulate in the blood. Specifically, this rise is often around 1 mmol/L above baseline levels during exercise.

Question 2

True or False: Lactate is a waste product of anaerobic metabolism.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

What is the significance of lactate threshold in athletic performance?

Answer 3

It indicates the exercise intensity at which an athlete can sustain performance without fatigue.

Question 4

Fill in the blank: The ___ threshold is often used to determine an athlete’s capacity for endurance.

Answer 4

lactate

Question 5

What physiological changes occur at lactate threshold?

Answer 5

Increased reliance on anaerobic metabolism and accumulation of lactate in the bloodstream.

Question 6

Which method is commonly used to test lactate threshold?

Answer 6

Incremental exercise testing with blood lactate sampling.

Question 7

True or False: Lactate accumulation is always detrimental to performance.

Answer 7

False

Question 8

What is the relationship between lactate threshold and VO2 max?

Answer 8

A higher lactate threshold often correlates with a higher VO2 max.

Question 9

What type of exercise typically leads to reaching lactate threshold?

Answer 9

High-intensity exercise.

Question 10

Fill in the blank: Lactate can be converted back to ___ in the liver.

Answer 10

glucose

Question 11

What is the role of the Cori cycle in lactate metabolism?

Answer 11

It converts lactate back to glucose in the liver.

Question 12

True or False: Lactate levels are a direct indicator of muscle fatigue.

Answer 12

False

Question 13

What can influence an individual’s lactate threshold?

Answer 13

Training status, genetics, and exercise intensity.

Question 14

What is the typical lactate threshold for trained endurance athletes?

Answer 14

Around 70-80% of VO2 max.

Question 15

What happens to lactate levels during prolonged exercise?

Answer 15

They may stabilize or decrease as the body adapts.

Question 16

True or False: Lactate is produced only during intense exercise.

Answer 16

False

Question 17

What physiological adaptations occur from regular training at or above lactate threshold?

Answer 17

Improved lactate clearance and increased mitochondrial density.

Question 18

How is lactate threshold related to metabolic acidosis?

Answer 18

Lactate accumulation can contribute to a decrease in pH, leading to acidosis.

Question 19

Fill in the blank: The lactate threshold is often expressed as a percentage of ___ max.

Answer 19

VO2

Question 20

What type of testing is often used to determine lactate threshold in a lab setting?

Answer 20

Incremental exercise test with blood samples.

Question 21

True or False: Lactate can serve as a fuel source for muscles.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

What is the typical lactate threshold for untrained individuals?

Answer 22

Around 50-60% of VO2 max.

Question 23

Fill in the blank: Athletes can improve their performance by training just below their lactate ___ point.

Answer 23

threshold

Question 24

What is the main cause of lactate accumulation during high-intensity exercise?

Answer 24

Inadequate oxygen supply for aerobic metabolism.

Question 25

True or False: Lactate levels can be used to monitor training intensity.

Answer 25

True

Question 26

Fill in the blank: The accumulation of lactate can lead to ___ fatigue.

Answer 26

muscle

Question 27

What effect does cooling down after exercise have on lactate levels?

Answer 27

It helps clear lactate from the bloodstream due to elevated O2 intake.

Question 28

True or False: Lactate is only produced in muscle cells.

Answer 28

False

Question 29

What is the primary factor that determines lactate threshold?

Answer 29

The balance between lactate production and clearance.

Question 30

Fill in the blank: Lactate can be utilised by the heart and muscles as a source of ___.

Answer 30

energy

Question 31

What is a common method for determining lactate threshold in field settings?

Answer 31

Using portable lactate analysers during exercise tests.

Question 32

True or False: Lactate levels are always higher in trained athletes than in untrained individuals.

Answer 32

False

Question 33

What type of exercise is most effective for improving lactate threshold?

Answer 33

Interval training or threshold training.

Question 34

Fill in the blank: The term 'anaerobic threshold' is often used interchangeably with ___ threshold.

Answer 34

lactate

Question 35

What is the impact of high-intensity interval training on lactate threshold?

Answer 35

It can significantly raise the lactate threshold.

Question 36

True or False: Lactate is only produced during anaerobic conditions.

Answer 36

False ## Footnote Lactate is a normal byproduct of glycolysis, the process that breaks down glucose for energy. Even when oxygen is available (aerobic conditions), some lactate is still produced — it's just cleared efficiently by the body.

Question 37

What is the primary role of lactate in the body?

Answer 37

To serve as an energy source and a signaling molecule.

Question 38

Fill in the blank: Regular training can shift the lactate threshold to a ___ exercise intensity.

Answer 38

higher

Question 39

Define anaerobic threshold

Answer 39

the point during exercise when your body must switch from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism

Question 40

Define aerobic threshold

Answer 40

the point during exercise when your body must switch from anerobic to aerobic metabolism.

Question 42

OBLA stands for...

Answer 42

Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation ## Footnote Also known as the lactate turn point **(usually at 4 mmol/L)** is the point at which there is a distinct, sudden and sustained increase in blood lactate.

Question 43

What happens to lactate at the **aerobic** threshold?

Answer 43

Lactate is produced slowly and is cleared efficiently, so levels in the blood remain stable.

Question 44

What happens to lactate at the **anaerobic** threshold?

Answer 44

Lactate production exceeds the body’s ability to clear it, leading to its accumulation and muscle fatigue.

Question 45

Why are aerobic and anaerobic thresholds important for training and for coaches?

Answer 45

They help guide training intensity, training zones, improve endurance and performance, and indicate how efficiently the body uses oxygen and manages fatigue.

Question 46

The heart rate zone typically associated with aerobic work is:

Answer 46

around 60–80% of your maximum heart rate (HRmax)

Question 47

The heart rate zone typically associated with anaerobic threshold zone is:

Answer 47

80–90% HRmax

Question 48

The heart rate zone typically associated with Maximal Effort Zone is:

Answer 48

90–100% HRmax

Question 49

# POTENTIAL EXAM QUESTION *"Explain the fate of lactic acid/lactate during the recovery process"* (4 marks)

Answer 49

1. The majority of pyruvic acid/pyruvate (50–75%) is then **oxidised into CO2 and H2O** (enters the mitochondria and be used in the Kreb’s Cycle and Electron Transport Chain) (under aerobic work) 2. Between (10–20%) of pyruvic acid is converted into **glucose and glycogen** to be stored in muscles and liver (**via Cori Cycle**). This is known as gluconeogenesis 3. Between (5–10%) of pyruvic acid is converted into **protein** 4. Converted to **urine and sweat**

Question 50

Benefits of Training near the Anaerobic / Lactate Threshold are...

Answer 50

1.Improve its **use** of lactate as an energy source (via cori-cycle) 2.Improve its **clearance** mechanisms (removal of lactate & H+) 3.Improve the **buffering** capacity (the ability of muscles to neutralise the acid that accumulates in them during high-intensity exercise) to negate the fatiguing effects of metabolic waste product (H+) accumulation. | REMEMBER: THINK "UCB"