Does blood lactate predict the chronic adaptive response to training: A comparison of traditional and talk test prescription methods

The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses (i) that interindividual variability in acute blood lactate responses during exercise at 65% of peak work rate (WRpeak; relative WRpeak protocol (REL)) will predict variability in the chronic responses to exercise training and (ii) that exercising at an intensity that causes uncomfortable speech production (negative talk test (TT) stage (NEG)) elicits high acute blood lactate responses and large adaptations to training. Twenty-eight participants completed 4 weeks of exercise training consisting of REL (n = 14) or NEG (TT, n = 14). Fifteen additional participants were assigned to a no-exercise control group (n = 15). In REL, acute blood lactate responses during the first training session significantly predicted changes in peak oxygen consumption (r = 0.69) after training. TT resulted in consistently high acute blood lactate responses. REL and TT improved (p < 0.05) peak oxygen consumption, WRpeak, and work rate at the onset of blood lactate accumulation ...