- The Lactate Express App runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac and works with both meters.
- You enter the stages of your test or fetch the lactate values from the device via Bluetooth.
- The app fits the curve, calculates the thresholds using the model of your choice and shows your training zones.
- The end result is a report that you can share as a PDF.
Six numbers on a record sheet are not yet diagnostics. In this chapter, your readings become a curve, the curve becomes a threshold and the threshold becomes a plan for your training.
What you need
- The Lactate Express App on iPhone, iPad or Mac
- A meter: Lactate Express or Metabol Pro. Both connect to the app via Bluetooth. Values from another lactate meter can be entered by hand.
- A step test with at least five stages, as described in Chapter 4
Four terms you should know
- Athlete
- The person being tested. You create them once with name, weight and sport.
- Load profile
- Your step protocol: starting load, increment, stage duration and number of stages.
- Threshold
- A threshold model with its settings, for example Mader or Dickhuth.
- Concept
- The package of thresholds and training zones that the app uses to analyse your test.
From test to analysis
Create a new test
Select “New Test” in the menu and choose the athlete. Enter the current weight.
Choose a load profile
Use a template for cycling or running, or create a profile of your own. It must match the protocol you actually ride or run.
Run the test and measure
For each stage, set the workload, hold it to the end and then measure the drop of blood. Note the heart rate at the end of the stage.
Enter the lactate values
Import the values from the meter via Bluetooth or type them in. Check that every value is assigned to the right stage.
Analyse the test
With “Analyse test”, the app plots lactate and heart rate as a chart. Look at the points first: if one does not fit the trend, check it before you go on.
Choose a concept
The concept determines which threshold model does the calculation and what the training zones are called. Which model suits your test is explained in Chapter 5.
Read the result
The app shows the thresholds as pace or power with the corresponding heart rate, plus the table of stages and your training zones.
Share the report
You export the report with chart, table and zones as a PDF, for printing or passing on.
From threshold to training zone
Training zones are aligned with the threshold. Each zone has a lower and an upper limit, given as a percentage of your performance at the threshold. From this the app calculates pace or watts and states the heart rate you had at these points in the test.
Values as a table
| Zone | Percentage of threshold | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery | below 70% | below 10.3 km/h |
| GA1 | 70 to 85% | 10.3 to 12.6 km/h |
| GA2 | 85 to 95% | 12.6 to 14.0 km/h |
| EB | 95 to 105% | 14.0 to 15.5 km/h |
| SB | above 105% | above 15.5 km/h |
The abbreviations come from German training theory: GA1 and GA2 are the base endurance zones, EB is the development zone and SB the peak zone. If you are just starting out, two or three zones are plenty. The more experienced you are, the finer the division can be.
In training, go by pace or watts first. Heart rate helps when you cannot measure either. But it only applies under conditions similar to those in the test and only for the sport in which you were tested.
If the result looks odd
The cause is usually the test, not the calculation. Check these points:
- Stages shorter than 3 minutes: Lactate did not have time to settle.
- Fewer than 5 stages: The curve is short of points.
- Started too high: There is no flat baseline for the model to take its bearings from.
- Heart rate noted at the wrong time: Heart rate and drop of blood both belong at the end of the stage.
- An outlier: One value affected by sweat or squeezing distorts the whole curve.
- Load profile does not match: The app holds a different protocol from the one you ran.
Good to know
- Sports: The app analyses tests in running, cycling and rowing.
- Devices: iPhone, iPad and Mac sync their data via iCloud if you are signed in with the same Apple ID on all of them. An Android version is planned.
- Comparing: Several tests of the same person show you how your threshold is developing.
- Scope and subscriptions: You can see directly in the app which features are included and which subscription options are available.
And when to use WinLactat?
The app is designed for one person who measures and analyses on the go: athlete or coach. WinLactat is the software for a business that offers diagnostics as a service: with more threshold models, freely built protocols, recovery analysis and connection to treadmills, ergometers and practice IT systems. How your readings get there is shown in Chapter 7.
Menu names may change with new app versions. The app provides readings, thresholds and training zones. It does not provide a medical assessment.