I have done several measurements of** lactate after swimming**, and the results are fairly high !
I use a lactate pro 2 meter. I think I have got a correct method to get the blood drop since I have been playing around with the lactate pro 2 since a few months but never done it in the pool.
I have tested several pace, and even if I feel easy (1:57/100m, avg HR 108, 60% HRmax, during 1000 m continuous swim, RPE 2-3/10) my lactate is at 2.8 mmol/L and according to other tests, it’s always > 2 even when going very slow. When i felt like being at 70.3 race pace around threshold, my lactate was 7 ! https://www.strava.com/activities/7374999032 https://www.strava.com/activities/6588118154
On the bike or running, my ceiling for zone 2 is around 200 watts and my HR is around 150 bpm while RPE is 4-5/10
My big question is, shall I setup my endurance training easier than 2:00/100 m to avoid fatiguing too much my arms and being fresher for the whole training ? does the 2 mmol/l limit still valuable in the pool compare to earth based exercises ?
I can’t get good readings from my finger when I’m swimming, something about taking the sample too close to the working muscles or something like that. But I still tend to have a bit higher lactate compared to my HR and RPE than biking and running.
I thought about the same thing for longer “easier” distance sets. Started using fins, which helped me keep the effort very easy whole gliding a lot. Easy to do 1000 repeats while not using much energy. Problem is, it may make normal swimming feel a lot harder.
…most people swim the first 75 m or 1 min too fast which will drive the lactate and it will stay there as a result.
need to learn to swim the exact pace,
The lactate levels will drop bc the athlete will be forced to slow down below threshold allowing clearance. Most people, if you plotted out each 100m of their swim in a tri, will swim a U shaped curve with the fastest bits being at the beginning and end while the middle is below where they need to be and below threshold.
Even if they go out too hard, increase lactate to whatever mmol, they are going to slow down for the simple fact they started at an effort/pace they can not sustain for the duration. As they go under threshold they will be able to clear lactate. It’s not going to stay the same. Now will they swim as fast as a properly paced swim? Probably not. At some point you have to pay the physiology piper back when you borrow from it.
basically why amateur’s must test on a cycle erg mode or treadmill they go way to hard and mess u the test.
You are wrong on this. Amateurs can test outside and many can test without messing it up. If they mess up the test you’re still getting actionable data that you can apply to them, they get a great learning experience on what not to do and they won’t be less fit because they messed up.
Sure the numbers may be off, especially if it’s one of the short tests that are so in vogue, but I’d also argue that if you’re using one test to set power or pacing you’re doing it wrong.
(I’d also argue that a lot of the short tests provide data that is erroneous to begin with. That’s a different thread probably)
I am pretty sure you are wrong since I have latacte data on 100 's of atheltes since 2009. once you go too fast your lactate will not come down if you “keep moving”. By your logic the faster people start the lower there lactate would be at the end of exhaustion???
If someone runs a 1600 m at 1:45, 1:45 , 1:45 1;45 and is 2.0 mmol
then does the first lap1:15 the 1:45 1:45 1:45 we will not see a 1:45 lalctate number near 2.0 but over 4.0 mmol, this is my the first mile for your Ironman run should never be your fastest.
It will not come down unless you stop or go so slow. sub 1.0 mmol.
all this testing is so 2000-2022 were I come from. but a few guys do a quick test o YouTube ad everyone is an expert.
sorry what I should have said is you are misreporting pace with effort!!!
just because someone is slowing does’t mean their lactate is reducing for beginners swimmers they are actually producing more lactate with faster ,stronger muscles activation that doesn’t lead to a faster swim pace.
We see this all the time as begginer move so many more muscle and add more force to water that doesn’t create speed but just effort.
I agree about regular testing but adult onset swimmers / beginners don’t understand swimming like us.
So if you ca do one test or one pace set to show them stop making swimming suffering. It can lead to much better short term and long term results.
we use power on the bike to pace a hill better, swimming should be the same and learning that in one way or another is important.
I have stopped giving lactate tests at the pool as everyone goes way to fast to start like it’s a race, so number are unless. but good swimmers can learn to pace back a bit and not hate the fact you are always sucking arm, but keep the focus on arm load and body position rather then get air get air get air…
So if you ca do one test or one pace set to show them stop making swimming suffering. It can lead to much better short term and long term results.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding this, but I don’t know how you get better in swimming without some suffering. That’s why, especially for beginners but really any triathlete, don’t worry about any of the lactate testing. If this is just another way of saying that you should swim slower to go faster, then we don’t understand swimming in the same way.
The other thing I would point out is swimming is a much larger skill than either biking and running efficiently. The “metabolics” are really just a by-product of training that skill and not the primary thing you are training, although it really applies to biking and running too only slightly different.
I agree the skill part. But how is harder swimming making you faster???
Do you chop down more trees swinging the wrong end of the axe??? you sure are working harder. people at the back on the race work way way harder then people at the front.
“The “metabolics” are really just a by-product of training that skill and not the primary thing you are training, although it really applies to biking and running too only slightly different.” YES