Transcription
After coaching hundreds of runners, I've noticed that if hard training isn't making you run faster, your lactate threshold is usually the thing holding you back. So, in this video, I'll break down the fastest science-based way to increase it so you don't waste your time on workouts that doesn't move the needle or even worse, get you injured.
My name is Nicholas. I have a bachelor's degree in sport science. I'm a certified physiotherapist and I'm a former professional triathlete.
So, first things first, what even is lactate threshold? The truth is a lot of people get this wrong. And if you don't know what it is, then how do you know what you need to do to improve it? You see, the mistake most runners make is believing that there is just one lactate threshold. But that's not the case. We actually have two. Let me explain.
When you start running faster, at some point you'll produce more lactate than your body can clear. When that happens and lactate starts building up in your bloodstream, that point is called your first lactate threshold or LT1. Once you reach this point, running will start to get harder, but it's still sustainable. I like to think of this pace as working but not working hard.
Then, if you keep increasing the pace, there comes another point where lactate doesn't just rise, it sort of shoots up. That sudden spike is called your second lactate threshold or LT2. After this point, it won't be long before you're forced to stop. This is the hard pace. Not all out suffering, but that annoying pace where it's hard enough that you can't think about anything else, but not so hard that you can just let go and give it your all.
So, when we want to boost LT1 and LT2 in the most efficient way possible, we need two different types of training. one that maximizes LT1 and one that maximizes LT2. And I'm going to show you exactly how to train both in a moment.
But what if you don't have access to lactate testing like most normal people don't? Well, if you have a heart rate monitor, then LT1 is roughly at around 70% of your heart rate max and LT2 is roughly 90% of your maximum heart rate. These numbers are not set in stone and will vary a lot depending on who you are. But they can be a good starting point. Or you can just think of it as LT1 being when you go from easy to medium and LT2 when you go from medium to hard.
All right. So how do we actually train LT1 and LT2 so we can start to run faster? Well, our bodies are actually quite simple. You see, it adapts to what you throw at it. So, if you want to improve your lactate thresholds as fast as possible, you need to spend as much time as possible training near LT1 and LT2.
But before you go out and make all your training hard, I want to give you two warnings. First of all, the more training at higher intensities you do, the higher your risk of injury becomes. Second of all, we want to accumulate as much time as possible training at lactate threshold over time. Meaning we need to train in a way that is sustainable where we can get our training in week in and week out without getting injured or burning out. That's why you don't see elite athletes running hard all the time. In fact, this systematic review from 2022 that looked into the training patterns of the best athletes in the world found that they spend around 80% of their time running below LT1 and only 20% of their time between LT1 and LT2 or above LT2 over the course of a season.
Now, before I show you exact workouts you can do to boost your LT1 and LT2, there's still one problem, and it's this. If your lactate threshold is not your limiter, meaning the thing holding you back right now from running faster, it won't matter how much you improve it. And if you'd like to figure out exactly what's holding you back and how to solve it with a personalized 4-week training plan, I created this running limiter test after studying all the runners I've worked with, finding those common limiters. This is my free gift to you, and you can find it in the description. And if you want me to actually look at your training and help you run faster, you can become part of the run lab, where I'll do my best to help you.
Now, let's talk about the actual workouts you can do to improve your lactate thresholds. Starting with LT1. And to be honest, there's something funny I've noticed about LT1. Actually, you see, LT1, also known as the aerobic threshold, is the one everyone forgets about, but ironically, it's also the one everyone talks about. Let me explain. You know how the mainstream fitness world keeps talking about zone 2 training? You know, this magic zone for endurance and longevity? Well, here's the truth. Zone 2 in what's called the five zone model is training around or just below LT1. That's all it is. So, when people say zone 2 is the key to endurance, what they're actually talking about is LT1 training.
And you see, once your LT1 moves up, two really cool things happen. First, your easy pace gets faster without it feeling harder. And second, you can handle a lot more volume without getting tired. So, how do we train it? For beginners, LT1 training might simply look like comfortable easy runs or even walking and then running to keep your heart rate low enough. Nothing should be forced, just consistent aerobic time on your feet. Truth be told, the biggest problem I see for beginners is actually not going slow enough. But if we want to get the benefits, we need to run at that LT1 line or below. And that feels really easy for most people. So easy, in fact, that some people find it impossible to run with their heart rate staying low enough. If that's you, then don't overthink different training zones. Just go as slow as you can, and over time, you'll find that it becomes easier as you get fitter. And when you become more fit, you can start adding longer, steady workouts in zone 2. And it's the same thing elites do. They just do more of it. So, what can an LT1 workout actually look like? Something like 30 to 90 minutes in zone 2. It can even be shorter or longer. It's nothing fancy, just solid, low intensity work.
Then once that base is solid, we move on to the harder stuff, improving our LT2. Now, LT2 is one of the key predictors of running performance and what most people refer to when they talk about their lactate threshold. And most people I've worked with can typically stay at LT2 for roughly 30 to 60 minutes, depending on their fitness levels and their mental toughness.
Now, the most effective way to improve LT2 isn't by destroying yourself with allout tempo runs. It's by accumulating a lot of time near LT2 without blowing up. That's why elite runners break threshold training into intervals because you can get more total minutes right at threshold without getting completely wasted. That means you can actually do it again a couple of days later and get more volume over time. And all the research points to more time at or just below LT2 being the key driver of improvement. And when I say key driver of improvement, I mean key driver of lactate threshold or LT2 improvement.
So what could such a workout look like? The most popular intervals for improving LT2 is something like 6 * 6 minutes with a 1 minute break or 3 * 10 minutes also with a 1 minute break. And some elite runners actually take it a step further with something called lactateg guided intervals. This is the method used by worldclass athletes like the ingresens and it's insanely effective but it's also incredibly demanding. They still do intervals but they're dialed in using blood lactate measurements specifically targeting concentration between LT1 and LT2. So they don't train based on pace or feel or even heart rate. They train based on blood measurements. Yeah. They actually prick their fingers during training. And if lactate rises above LT2, they slow down. And if it drops below LT1, they pick up the pace.
And here's where it gets wild. They actually do double threshold days. So on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they might do a morning session with long reps. It could be something like the 6* 6 minutes we just discussed. And then in the evening, they do a session with shorter reps. It could be something like 25 * 400 m with a 30 second break. That's four threshold sessions per week combined with easy days in between. But here's the thing. This is not something I would recommend for most people. Unless you're a full-time athlete with access to lactate testing and years of aerobic base, this approach can bury you fast. In fact, when I tried to do something similar, I had to stop within 2 weeks because I just got so tired. and I'm a former professional triathlete used to running 100 km per week on top of swimming and cycling.
So, if you're an intermediate runner and want to try something similar but without the same volume, you can look into what's called Norwegian singles. That's two threshold sessions per week using feel or pace or heart rate as proxies for lactate measurements. You'll still get many of the same benefits just without the same risk of overtraining. I've actually tried the Norwegian singles method myself together with a couple of athletes this year and I will say that it's a lot easier to sustain and it can be very effective. But we've also found that if we add some kind of short V2 max session once per week, it works even better. But then again, this is also a lot of volume for most people. So use it as inspiration and not an exact plan to follow.
So what could a week of training look like if you want to improve both LT1 and LT2? Here are two protocols to help you improve your lactate threshold as fast as possible. One based on the Norwegian method and one that's modified from the Norwegian singles. The second one is the protocol I use these days when trying to improve my half marathon pace. Now, don't take these protocols as is, but use them as a reference point when building the training plan that fits with your goals and your life.
But eventually, something else becomes the bottleneck. And if you don't fix that, your progress stops again. So, to help you identify exactly what's holding you back right now so you can keep getting faster week after week, you should watch this video.