Lactate Threshold Testing | Glendale Community College

What is a Lactate Threshold?

Lactate is a natural byproduct produced when your body breaks down carbohydrates for energy during exercise. At low intensities, your body clears lactate easily. But as intensity rises, lactate builds up faster than it can be removed. Lactate threshold is the point where lactate starts to rapidly accumulate in the blood, signaling the shift from primarily aerobic energy to anaerobic energy. Understanding our lactate threshold helps determine how hard you can work before fatigue sets in - a key factor in endurance performance.

What will you learn?

During your lactate threshold assessment, you'll gain valuable insight into how your body responds to increasing exercise intensity.

Here is what to expect:

First, we will measure your resting lactate level
Choose your modality, Bike or Treadmill
After a brief warm-up, you'll start you'll start your selected pace, and we will take blood samples (via a small finger prick)every three minutes.
We monitor how your lactate level rises, checking whether your body is still clearing lactate efficiently or beginning to accumulate it.
The goal is to capture when you reach 4.0 mmol/L, which gives us an accurate read of your anaerobic threshold and the corresponding heart rate and pace.
After reaching your threshold, you'll complete a cooldown.

Depending on your fitness level, the testing process can be as short as 30 minutes or as long as 90 minutes.

What to Expect During the Test

The appointment may last between 30 to 90 minutes, depending on your endurance and fitness level.
You'll complete a progressive exercise test, either running or cycling, with brief breaks every 3 minutes for blood sampling.

Preparation is critical:

Be well-rested
Do not work out for at least 24 hours before your appointment to ensure your lactate levels are low and we capture accurate baseline data.

Our experienced staff will guide you through every stage, ensuring the test is comfortable, safe, and motivating.

Package Options

Lactate Threshold is available in three formats :

The Works Package ( all major assessments bundled) $330
Athlete's Package #1 (Performance Specific) $240
A'la carte (Just the Lactate Threshold testing) $120

Curious how you compare?

After the test, we'll sit down with you to review your results. You'll learn exactly where your lactate threshold falls, your heart rate and pace point, and how to apply these numbers to your training. Whether you're an athlete or someone looking to optimize your endurance, lactate threshold testing is an essential tool to unlock your full potential.

Ready to get started?

Book an appointment

Purchase a test

For more information, please call us at 623-845-3713 or email us at [email protected].