Services
Many athletes establish training and racing intensities based heart-rate formulas, e.g. an “aerobic” training zone from 60-70% of maximum heart rate. However, these formulas suffer from the same deficiency as the oft-discredited 220-age to determine a person’s maximum heart rate. They are based on generalized studies and do not take into account individual differences. An athlete may think that they’re training at an slow endurance level burning fat where in reality they’re working at a more intense level. As a consequence, they’re not getting the benefit they think from their training and, in fact, could even be working counter to their goals.
The only accurate way to identify training and racing intensities is by assessing the individual’s unique metabolism. Athlos Sports provides Physiological Testing and Specialized Consulting Services to endurance athletes so that they can understand their body’s underlying physiology and metabolism.
The Athlos Sports Metabolic/Lactate Test provides detailed physiological information which the athlete can use to improve their training and racing. The test can be performed indoors on a treadmill or stationary bike or in the field.
The test consists of two parts. During the first part, the athlete performs a “step test” which involves 3-minute efforts at increasing levels of intensity. The second part of the test focuses on finding the athlete’s Lactate Balance Point.
The Lactate Balance Point (LBP) corresponds to the maximum exertion level, as represented by heart rate, where the body is still able to process lactate produced by the body. A well-trained athlete can maintain this level of exertion for hours provided the body has sufficient fuel. Above that level of exertion, lactate accumulates. While an increasing lactate level itself does not cause fatigue or reduction in performance, it is directly associated with these conditions.
Athlos Sports’s Metabolic/Lactate Test incorporates the FaCT Canada Lactate Balance Point approach . Athlos Sports is a certified Level II FaCT testing center.
Besides lactate data, information is also collected on heart rate, heart rate variability and oxygen saturation levels. Together with performance information (running speed or watts) these data are used to characterize the athlete’s metabolic system. In particular, the test estimates the athlete’s individual metabolic zones, e.g. where they primarily use slow-twitch muscles and free fatty acids as fuel and the point where fast-twitch muscles become predominant and glucose becomes the main fuel source.
For more information about the test, consult Metabolic/Lactate Test FAQ’s
Cost
The cost for the complete Metabolic Test is $125. Shorter follow-up tests to assess progress are $95. Testing is done in the offices of Corpore Sano in Kenmore, Washington.
Specialized Consulting Services
Athlos Sports also provides consulting services to endurance athletes with specific needs. For example, an athlete who is contemplating a multi-day event such as a cycling stage event may want to better understand how well their body recovers from consecutive days of hard efforts. Tests based on lactate or heart rate variability can provide valuable insight on this situation. For performance questions such as this, Athlos Sports can apply the latest findings from sports science research to address the athlete’s needs. The cost for these services is determined on an individual basis.