What is and how to Lactate Threshold Train?
Lactate Threshold Training is also referred to as: Pace and Tempo Training, a few other names as well.

What is Lactate?
• Lactate is the salt formed from lactic acid.  Blood lactate levels are used to help assess an athlete’s performance level (% of VO2 Max).  A world class athlete can be up to 90%VO2 max while an untrained individual can be at ~ 50%VO2 max. 

What is Lactic Acid?
• An organic by-product formed within muscle cells when contracting under limited oxygen availability, the cause for muscle fatigue (not to be confused with muscle damage). 

What is the relationship between lactate and lactic acid?
• Blood lactate levels illustrate the production and clearance of lactic acid.
• The lower the blood lactate levels the quicker one’s muscles can recover from intense activity (low blood lactate means lactic acid is quickly being cleared from circulation)

Who benefits from Lactate Threshold Training?
• Endurance “minded” athletes; those who want muscle endurance, training the circulatory system and muscle to operate longer before fatigue sets in.

What type of sailor would benefit from this type of training?
• Beneficial mostly to the folks who participate in forms of sailing that allow very little “down time” i.e. ocean racing, skiff sailing and intense buoy racing (ex. America’s Cup, Match Racing)
• In theory, this form of training is used to train the body to delay its normal accumulation of blood lactate levels and encouraging more efficient clearance of lactic acid within muscle.   
• The accumulation of blood lactate demonstrates an increase in blood’s acidity, an unfavorable situation leading to muscle fatigue as a tangible result of such occurrence.
• Lactate is removed by either oxidation within muscle where it was produced, transported, removed by other muscle or in the liver where it can be converted to glucose.

What is an example of a Lactate Threshold Training Session?

Interval Training (IT):
                Frequency:  2x weekly
                Intensity: 95-105% of Lactate Threshold
                Interval Length: 10min
                Rest Length: 2-3min

How do you determine personal lactate threshold?

Karvonen Formula:
                220-age = max heart rate (MHR)
                MHR- resting heart rate (RHR) = heart rate reserve (HRR)
                HRR x Training % (see below) + RHR = Target beats per minute (Heart rate)

Training Pace:
1.    Recovery 60-70%
2.    Aerobic 70-80%
3.    Anaerobic 80-90%