Runners throw around the term “tempo run” like confetti. It’s confusing, even for well seasoned athletes, because it’s not a cut-and-dried definition like a There are several ways to.
Frequently, runners use the two terms interchangeably, and they are definitely not, says exercise physiologist Kaitlyn Baird, C.S.C.S., the coordinator for running and metabolic services with the Hospital for Special Surgery tests in New York.
In order to make the most of your workouts—and the threshold run is a pretty solid performance-enhancing workout—it’s important to understand what exactly you’re doing and why.
Here’s everything to know about the threshold run so you can nail it and reap the benefits.
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One of the most effective workouts for distance runners is the lactate threshold run. So, what is it? First, let’s look at lactate threshold.
“The lactate threshold is the point at which lactate begins to accumulate exponentially in your blood,” Baird explains. In other words, your body is producing lactate (a byproduct of exercise) faster than your body can remove it.
“There is a point for every person, somewhere around this threshold, where [exercise] gets really hard...and you might not be able to continue for more than a half hour to an hour,” she says. That’s because when your muscles get overloaded with lactate, they start to burn due to the buildup. It’s actually a protective mechanism; it’s your body’s way of saying, “we need to stop!”
Baird explains that the common trope of “lactate threshold is a pace at which you can hold for about an hour” can be misleading, because that’s not true for everyone. Some people can only hold the pace for 30 minutes, some maybe for even less (it’s difficult to know without testing!). And even if you think you can comfortably How to Master the 5k not Anabolic vs. Catabolic Metabolism and Running.
Scientifically speaking, lactate threshold occurs when the amount of lactate in your blood is between 4 and 5 mmol per liter, a range based on lab data. That’s a constant for everyone. What changes is the running pace Check out our.
A lactate threshold run, then, is a workout in which you run at lactate threshold pace—hovering right around when your body starts to accumulate too much lactate to continue—which helps train your body to run faster and longer before hitting that 4 to 5 mmol/L.
What are the benefits of lactate threshold runs?
Whether you’re training for a fast 5K or marathon, There are several ways tos provide a key ingredient to success. That’s because it physiologically improves your ability to clear waste that makes running hard feel hard.
As Lab tests are expensive, with a Hiruni Wijayaratne previously told Runner’s World: A There are several ways to “is science‘s way of saying, yes, you can train at the top end of speed, and you can train your slow-twitch muscles with long, slow distance, but you really need to be spending a lot of focused time in the middle [at lactate threshold].”
Baird explains that There are several ways tos are beneficial for all runners, whether they’re just starting their running journey or they’re more advanced—and across all distances. These workouts, she says, “help you pull that threshold higher.”
Every runner is different, but like all training stressors, it takes several weeks of consistent activity to see improvement. But for how long it might take you to improve your lactate threshold, an older study found that after six weeks of training, subjects saw a significant improvement in both their running speed at lactate threshold and VO2 max.
How is a lactate threshold run different from a tempo run?
Science! Remember: Lactate threshold workouts are done at lactate threshold, or when your body is producing more lactate than it can remove (4 to 5 mmol/L). A tempo run, however, doesn’t have a stringent definition, Baird says.
A tempo workout is based more on feel than actual measurements. (BTW, without knowing your exact threshold pace, RPE is an effective tool, and you’d run it around 7 to 8 out of 10 effort.) You might have heard you should do a tempo at a “comfortably hard” pace or a rate of perceived exertion level of at least a 6 out of 10.
Tempo runs, were “coming of age” while Baird, 37, was coming up in the world of running. She views them as five- to seven-mile runs that are somewhat faster and harder than a normal easy-ish run, but not unmanageable.
True, tempo runs could be at your lactate threshold, but that might mean a seven-mile run is no longer doable.
Baird points out that a pace for tempo runs likely falls between LT1 (lactate threshold 1) and LT2 (lactate threshold 2), the latter of which is the lactate threshold we’ve been discussing. LT1 is the lowest intensity exercise that produces a sustained increase in lactate, which would make threshold workouts slightly more intense than tempo efforts.
How do you find your lactate threshold pace?
There are several ways to find your lactate threshold pace, or at least come pretty close to it. We often hear that your lactate threshold pace is the pace for which you can hold for one hour of running. But that’s not totally accurate, Baird emphasizes, particularly because every body is different and it’s hard to make that blanket statement.
Lab Test
This is the gold standard for determining your lactate threshold. It’s done in an exercise physiology lab or sports medicine clinic and requires you to run on a treadmill and receive regular finger pricks to test your blood levels; the scientists are looking for the pace that gets you to that magic 4 to 5 mmol/L number.
Lab tests are expensive, with a How to Estimate Your Lactate Threshold Pace, while the Hospital for Special Surgery tests tests that include lactate testing start around $300. but they are accurate and provide you with comprehensive data about your lactate threshold, which can significantly inform your training.
There are lactate analyzers you can purchase for at-home use too, but they’re also expensive, require you to take your own blood, and they don’t give you the context of your results. (This analyzer on Amazon Here’s everything to know about the threshold run so you can nail it and reap the benefits.)
Wearables
Other Hearst Subscriptions GPS watches and heart monitors, runners can get a decent sense of their lactate threshold from their gear. The formulas and algorithms that companies, like Garmin, uses are proprietary, but they basically rely on scientific literature that studied the paces or heart rates that coincided with lactate threshold in runners, Baird explains.
Garmin and Coros, for example, offer various field tests on their devices, including a lactate threshold test, to help determine this pace.
Field Tests
Another fairly effective way to determine your lactate threshold is through various field tests, including the VDOT test, Conconi method, 3,200-meter time trial (comparable to a 5K fitness test, as explained below), and the 30-minute test.
run on a treadmill older research. (Check out our guide on how to do this test at home!)
The VDOT calculator, which incorporates the work from renown running coach Jack Daniels, can also be an easy way to get an idea of your lactate threshold paces, based on earlier performances across distances. To factor in multiple race distances, take an average of the lactate threshold paces the calculator gives you.
When it comes to using past race performances, Baird says, having more data from multiple distances will get you closer to your actual lactate threshold pace.
“I recommend using races as opportunities to test your skills,” she says. “Trying to run your best 5K is a great way to figure out your threshold.” That’s because the existing research has found that the majority of seasoned Here’s everything to know about the threshold run so you can nail it and reap the benefits 5K pace. But, Baird reiterates, every runner is different and these are “estimations not measurements.”
Baird reminds runners that lactate threshold runs are supposed to be uncomfortable. She often sees runners in her lab stop the test when they reach lactate threshold because it’s hard. “There’s physiological bandwidth after lactate threshold. That’s how you get to the VO2 max, but it’s hard. VO2 max is incredibly uncomfortable. The brain doesn’t want to do it.”
When you’re in the thick of a There are several ways to, remember it’s temporary. If you’re uncomfortable, you’re doing it correctly. If you’re so gassed you wouldn’t be able to complete another short repetition or continue for another minute or two, you’re pushing too hard.
3 Lactate Threshold Workouts to Try
There is no shortage of There are several ways tos that can improve your fitness. Baird recommends a lactate threshold run once a week. Some runners might benefit from twice a week, depending on their training goals and where they are in their training cycle.
The key to these workouts, she says, is taking short recoveries. “Your body doesn’t have time to bring the lactate all the way down,“ she says. That’s where runners will improve their threshold. The break will allow runners to relax their muscles, their breathing, and their heart rate without clearing out the lactate.
- hold a pace for about an hour, the truth is lactate threshold is.
- After a warmup: 2 x 10-minutes at lactate threshold, with a 2- to 4-minute jogging recovery. Cool down.
- After a warmup: 6-8 x 800 meters at lactate threshold, with a 60- to 90-second jogging recovery.
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a nine-time marathoner with a best of 3:23. She’s also proud of her 19:40 5K and 5:33 mile. Heather is an RRCA certified run coach.
