LACTATE TESTING FOR ROWERS

By Sports Resource Group

Basics-

In this short article we will try to demystify lactate testing. We have found that few people really understand it. Hopefully, by the time you have finished this article you will have a much better understanding of its importance. We will use the term "lactate" instead of "lactic acid". They are essentially the same.

First, forget what you probably know about lactate and why you may be interested in it. Lactate is not a waste product or harmful and is definitely not the cause of muscle soreness. It is not even the cause of the pain or discomfort you feel during intense exercise, though it is associated with this. Lactate is a natural product your body needs for proper functioning.

So why should rowers measure lactate and not some other substance or physiological process? The answer is that lactate is the unique substance in the body that allows the coach to assess the muscles' capacity for physical performance in rowing. (Just what are the muscle's capabilities during a rowing event.) There is no other way to accomplish this that is easy and inexpensive.

The rower's objective is to produce the most energy per unit of time during the entire race. The more energy produced the faster one can stroke and the more power one can exert during each stroke. A rower essentially utilizes two sources of energy during a race, the aerobic and anaerobic systems. To achieve high-energy production, the aerobic and anaerobic systems have to be developed in an optimal way. Lactate testing, properly done, is the best way to assess the capacity of each system and how each system is developing over time.
            The preceding assumes that the rower is using proper technique and has the proper mental attitudes for the race. Both are extremely important for a top performance. But if these two elements are equal among competitors (and they often are at high levels of competition) it means that the winners of the race will be the boat with the best-conditioned rowers.

Energy systems-

We mentioned that the rower mainly utilizes two energy systems during a race, the aerobic and anaerobic systems. There is a third energy sys- tem in the body, but this system plays a small role in a rowing race and is also not very trainable. It is the creatine phosphate system. This system is crucial for a high jumper or a 100 m runner but for a rowing race a coach can minimize the training of this system even for Olympic level athletes.

Aerobic system- The most important energy system for rowers is the aerobic system. This system has two functions. The first is to provide energy. The more developed the aerobic sys- tem the more energy it can produce per unit of time. Because the end products of the aerobic system are water and carbon dioxide, which are harmless, there is usually never enough aerobic capacity. That is, the higher the better. Optimal development is maximum development. The only time one would sacrifice aerobic capacity is if the development of it would interfere with the development of other characteristics necessary for a good performance. Most of the physiological training of a rower is directed toward raising aerobic capacity.

The second function of the aerobic system is to utilize the output of the anaerobic system. Un- like the output of the aerobic system, the output of the anaerobic system, lactate and hydrogen ions, is definitely not harmless. If too many hydrogen ions accumulate in the muscles, energy production is slowed down and contraction impaired. The aerobic system uses the lactate and hydrogen ions as fuel. (They combine to form a fuel for aerobic energy production.) Thus, the higher the aerobic capacity of the athlete the less accumulation of hydrogen ions in the muscles. This second function is why aerobic capacity or endurance training is so important for a rower. A highly developed aerobic capacity enables the athlete to use the anaerobic system to a greater extent therefore allowing the rower to sustain the speed necessary to win. This is especially important in the last 500 m of the race.

Anaerobic system- This system is extremely important for success in rowing. While this system provides less energy in total than the aerobic system, the energy it does produce is generated much faster. It is the source that allows the rower to accelerate when necessary. It provides the top speed that wins races. No one wins a rowing race with a poorly developed anaerobic system nor does anyone win a race without using it extensively. However, unlike the aerobic system the level has to be carefully trained or "fine-tuned". If it is too high, the outputs (lactate and hydrogen ions) will overwhelm the aerobic system and accumulate rapidly in the muscles. This will slow the rower down. If the anaerobic system is too weak, the athlete will not produce enough energy to row fast or exert much power during each stroke. In other words the anaerobic system has to be finely tuned to the level of the aerobic system. The stronger the aerobic system the stronger the anaerobic system can be.

Lactate Testing-

Lactate is associated with each of the two energy systems. It is produced by the anaerobic system and used as a fuel for the aerobic sys- tem. Thus, a properly constructed test can assess the development of each system. This is why lactate testing is so important. No other inexpensive, easily measured physiological parameter provides the same information.

Tests of the aerobic system -The more developed the aerobic system the more it will utilize lactate produced as fuel for energy and the less lactate will accumulate. Thus a test of the aerobic system is one that measures how much power is produced or how fast one can go before lactate starts to accumulate. Typically, a coach will ask a rower to do a series of steady state pieces of about 5-6 minutes and then measure blood lactate after each piece. The faster the rower can go or the more power generated before lactate starts to accumulate, the stronger the aerobic system. However, before a coach can make an accurate assessment he or she must also measure the development of the anaerobic sys- tem.

Tests of the anaerobic system -The more developed the anaerobic system the more lactate it will produce and the faster lactate will accumulate. Thus a test of the anaerobic system is one that measures the maximum amount of lactate that is produced per unit of time. The effort has to be maximal and short. Maximal; otherwise the anaerobic system is not utilized to its maximum potential. Short; because the amount of lactate accumulated after a long test will be affected by the strength of the aerobic system and because the effort level of the athlete should not be impaired by the discomfort of a long highly intense effort. The test cannot be too short how- ever, or else the effort is influenced by the creatine system.

The protocol for testing the anaerobic system for rowers is 40- 60 second all out test. The maxi- mum amount of lactate generated after such a test is correlated with the development of the anaerobic system.

Interaction of the aerobic and anaerobic systems .We mentioned above that before a coach can make an accurate assessment of the aerobic system he/she must have a measure of the anaerobic system. The reason for this is that a strong anaerobic system will generate much higher levels of lactate than a weak one. Thus, coaches who perform the aerobic test described above will not know how much aerobic capacity a test is measuring unless they also have a measure of the anaerobic system. Two rowers with identical measures on the aerobic test could have very different aerobic capacities because their anaerobic systems are producing different amounts of lactate.

Summary-

The goal of the many hours of training is to optimize the two energy systems. We hope you know a little more about why lactate testing is an essential tool for coaches to use to reach this objective and not over-train or under-train their athletes. You will notice that we have not mentioned the concept of lactate threshold or anaerobic threshold or lactate clearance or lactate tolerance. We don't believe they are that important for training. We also have only touched the surface of this topic. Those who want to know more can visit the web site of Sports Resource Group (www.lactate.com) or purchase our CD-ROM on lactate testing. We advertise that we are the most comprehensive source for information on lactate testing in the world. We believe that and are continually expanding the information on this topic and how it can be used to optimize training for endurance athletes.