Mitochondria density takes years (studies point to 5-7 but who really knows) to develop. Without prior testing it would be more difficult to say how much this training improved your fitness markers. Now you have this testing point so you will be able to compare and evaluate whether training brings the wanted adaptations.
To give a bit of an overview, for highly trained athletes LT2 is in 80-85% of VO2max (there are some extreme examples of close to 90% but those appear to be not only pros with 25+ weekly hours but also predominantly type 1 twitch). You can easily compare (or even guesstimate if you do not have all out effort data) your 5-8 minutes max effort wattage against LT2. I would guess that is still significantly under 80%. This would point to the fact that VO2max is not limiter and your training should focus on work below LT2 to improve that fractional utilization.
Your ability to produce 22mmol and sports background shows that you definitely do not lack anaerobic qualities as well. Based on this information (and assumptions), I would focus on high volume of easy riding + tempo/SS workouts (maybe also some high torque low cadence work at tempo to recruit more type 2 fibers). In INSCYD terms - bringing the Vlamax down. If it’s not a winter season on your side, do not completely forget about sprinting. Doing 5-15 second sprints during your regular endurance ride will not prevent your aerobic gains and will help with max power and muscle recruitment.
Thanks @OldFish , some solid advice.
I don’t really know where my true LT2 is since my FTP is probably over estimated by the ramp test. The ramp test feels pretty similar to a 5 min max effort. The best 5 minute efforts I have done in training are close to FTP/0.8, but I have never really done any max efforts. For sure the Vo2Max is not the limiter.
I will do my best to do some long easy rides in the winter, but where I live (Sweden mountains) the winter is cold with lots of snow so I will be doing most of my rides indoor pretty soon, and I find it tough to ride for hours on the trainer. I’ll probably do most easy training on skis and hope that it carries over…
hi all. i’m now in the lactate pro 2 club and have been directed here for emotional damage support 
a first go at testing left me with a protocol to tidy up, errors to eliminate and more test strips to buy. i’m a 69kg 51 yr old with 10 years riding to build on. TR has me at 278 (down from 290 earlier this yr), and an estimated LT1 of 210 ish. as an expression of this i completed this w/o this morning
the bulk of the effort was above LT1 at around 215 watts but felt perfectly doable for short of 3 hours. i also did 2 lactate tests between 60 mins and 75 mins at around 217 watts steady, with 1.1mmol 1.2 mmol (pinch of salt) the heart rate did drift and rpe rose in the last 35 mins.
further tests to follow.
great thread and thanks for the invite @DarthShivious
For what it is worth, here is my TR Custom Workout Lactate Ramp Test protocol.
It is 15 watt steps with 8 minutes per step. There is a longer initial stage at a low wattage (12 minutes at 60% MLSS). Not shown is 20-30 min of very easy warm up riding performed before starting the lactate test protocol. No efforts or bursts, the warm up is just noodling along to get warmed up and let lactate settle to 1mMol or below.
The ramp Wattages are based on an MLSS of 225w and an LT1 which moves between about 165-195 depending on fitness. Each rider will need to pick powers that make sense based on their expected MLSS and LT1.
My steps are: 135w (12min), then 8 min steps at 150, 165, 180, 195, 210, 225 (MLSS), 240, and back to 150 for 15 min
What I do for lactate samples are:
pre-warm up
one for each step in the ramp
one at end of the 15 min, 150 w step.
Works out to about ten strips per test. I record Heart Rate and RPE along with the Lactate number for each step.
Note that the protocol goes one step beyond MLSS. I usually cannot complete the 8 min step beyond MLSS, but will give it a go anyway. It just adds a point higher up on the curve.
To take the sample, I just pause the workout.
Don’t have to create a custom workout, but it’s nice to have when testing. When I test friends, will create individual custom workouts for them as well.
Is the last one @150W just to see how the lactate is clearing/has cleared?
Yes. That was the idea. When I first made the workout I was curious how long it would take for lactate to drop. I’d say now am not too interested in that, but too lazy to edit the workout.
so, today as a spot check of blood lactate, during a 2 hr indoor steady ride at 210-215 watts average but ranging 180- 230 watts. i checked at 1 hr 20 mins and again at 1 hr 45mins. from my 1st Lt1 test a couple of weeks ago, i took my lt1 to be somewhere from 200-220 watts, given the noisy data.
i was surprised to find both checks were 1.0 mmol and expected it to be almost double that. i had been eating a cereal bar etc every 25 mins or so and drank about 1.5L fluid.
my query is, is there any reason, aside from possibly being below lt1, for 1.0mmol lactate at this duration. does under fuelling suppress it (1 banana, 2 cereal bars, 1 gel in 2 hours), with only coffee before. i never felt low blood sugar. does fatigue affect lactate? or any other factor play in. i would regularly do 3-4 hrs on the road at 0.75 IF.
I had a look at your previous post and the lactate level would appear to be broadly similar 1.1 Vs 1.0 which I would have thought to be well within a daily variance. So, yes it looks like your ride was below your LT1. This lactate thing doesn’t appear to be as precise as I thought it would be. Could be because we are not machines😀
I just did my first lactate test using the Edge meter.
Results were:
after 15 minutes of 110W = 1.1
after 8 minutes of 145W = 2.0
after 8 minutes of 160W = 2.6
So I homed in on LT1 almost straight away.
I feel my LT1 is very low relative to FTP, which according to TR is currently 225W (was 250W according to a respiratory exchange test I did back in Oct 22 but my training has almost completely dropped off until the last 2 weeks).
It seems most people have an LT1 much closer to MLSS - not sure if this is a good thing because I have a lot of headroom to train? Or there is something wrong with me lol.
Well it depends on if you’re comparing yourself to Pogacar and other pros that can spend 25 hours a week on the bike hehe.
Usually volume is a big LT1 pusher.
I am retesting my LT1 this weekend, but last test was around 240w for LT1. My LT2 is around 315w (awhile since I’ve tested but have done 4x10min (5min rest) at 330w recently so 315w is plausible)
Do a few more steps and see the curve!
And also your case is a bit common, google aerobic defficiency syndrome. I see that in “no structure” trained atlethes where they are spending a lot of times at “happy hard itensity” and that is around 2.5-3 mmol of La so they are producing Lactate with anaerobic engine almost from the easiest power…
Just ordered my Lactate Pro 2. Maybe this weekend I can start doing my first LT1 test. Will read the topic again for some tips from @DarthShivious ;-). I am not interested (yet) in LT2 so will be an aerobic treshold test. Maybe this protocol?
Warm-up 20min.
Take sample.
10min 120W (take sample after 6min)
8min 140W (take sample after 6min)
8min 160W (take sample after 6min)
8min 180W (take sample after 6min)
8min 200W (take sample after 6min)
8min 220W (take sample after 6min)
8min 240W (take sample after 6min)
Good approach?
I also just got a meter and would be interested in others testing protocols. I am also primarily interested in targeting an accurate estimate of LT1.
Test from the above is good for getting LT1… but this is the easier part 
Interpreting the results would be harder… please share the results here
Will do. I don’t have a specific background in sports physiology, but I have a background in healthcare and have been following these topics for years. Hopefully I can figure it out but perhaps am being too optimistic.
I really am interested because of the heavy use in training by the Norwegians in running and triathlon. It seems that their performance speaks volumes about the potential utility.
Of course I am just starting this journey and have a long way to go.
Interesting Twitter thread for those testing lactate:
I am struggling to make sense of readings.
I am getting readings from 0.7-3.3 for my resting levels (trying to be consistent on how I take the sample and avoid contamination/dilution).
Also trying to do sufficient warm downs to clear lactate after exercise.
Clearly diet is having an impact but I got a 3.0 in the evening after having eaten something 2 hours earlier.
I know my coach is pretty strict with what is to be avoided before a test, no fructose before the test.
So I wake up, have a coffee and two bagels with turkey on, wait 90min, then hop on the bike.
One reading before getting on the bike.
One reading 20min into the 30min warmup.
Then I start the “real” test.
for comparison i did a few tests yesterday morning during a z2 indoor ride. a banana and coffee pre ride.
after 5 mins @ 140 watts 2.5mmol
after 15 mins @ 140 watts 2.5mmol
after 5 mins @ 212 watts 1.1mmol
after 25 mins @ 212 watts 1.2mmol
after 12 mins @ 225 watts 1.5 mmol
i’m taking 1 of a few things from this:
my resting lactate was around 2.5mmol on this occasion.
the banana had an effect
i wasn’t using up blood lactate at 140 watts
my poor blood circulation to my hands gave a false reading until the work load rose.
the fructose thing always has me confused. AFAIK, fructose must be metabolised in the liver to glycogen, so doesn’t raise blood glucose or travel to the muscle directly. i stand to be corrected though.
during exercise, does ingesting glucose interfere with lactate levels? i’m guessing no, since we will be releasing glucose into the blood from the liver anyway.
