The Benefits of Lactate Testing for Endurance Athletes

Why We Use Lactate Testing at Trail Addiction Coaching — And How It Transforms Your Performance

When you train with Trail Addiction Coaching, you’re not leaving progress to chance. You’re not relying on generic watch estimates, cookie-cutter heart-rate zones, or internet formulas that assume you’re the “average runner.”

Instead, we use real physiology, backed by science and personalised to your body, to guide your training.
At the centre of that approach is lactate testing — one of the most powerful tools for improving endurance performance.

This article breaks down what lactate testing is, why we use it, and how it leads to faster, safer, smarter progress for runners and multisport athletes.

What Is Lactate Testing? (In Simple Terms)

As intensity increases during exercise, your muscles produce lactate. Your body can clear it easily at lower efforts — but as the workload rises, lactate starts to accumulate. By taking small blood samples at increasing intensities, we can identify:

LT1 – Aerobic Threshold

The point where lactate first rises above baseline.
This defines true easy/endurance training.

LT2 – Anaerobic Threshold

Where lactate accumulates rapidly.
This defines your real tempo/threshold boundary.

Why this matters

These thresholds are the foundation of every training decision we make. They reveal:

• How efficient your aerobic engine is

• Which intensities build fitness vs. break you down

• Exactly where your training zones should be

• The true pace/HR that matches each type of workout

No guesswork. No watch algorithms. Just your physiology.

Why We Use Lactate Testing at Trail Addiction Coaching

1. Precision Zones = Targeted, Effective Training

Most runners train in zones that are too high for aerobic development or too low for meaningful speed gains. Lactate testing fixes this instantly.

You’ll know:

• The exact HR for your Zone 2

• The exact intensity for tempo, sweet spot, and threshold work

• The intensity that builds fatigue resistance

• How to structure long runs for maximum impact

This is how athletes improve rapidly — and sustainably.

2. Faster Progress With Measurable Improvements

When athletes train with lactate-based zones, we consistently see:

• Lower lactate at the same speed

• Higher speeds at the same lactate

• Higher LT1 and LT2 heart rates

• Improved fatigue resistance

• Stronger climbing and more even pacing

• Big improvements in ultra-event performance

These are the signs of a growing aerobic engine.

Example: Lactate Curve Improvement Over 12 Weeks

This example shows a typical athlete becoming far more efficient — running faster at lower lactate levels.

3. A Safer, Smarter Path to Endurance

Lactate testing helps prevent:

• Overtraining

• “Grey zone” fatigue

• Excessively hard easy days

• Under-paced hard days

• Injuries related to chronic overload

Great training is not about training harder — it’s about training at the right intensity.

How Training Improves Over a Block: What the Numbers Show

Threshold Improvements Over Time

As athletes train correctly:

• LT1 heart rate rises (greater aerobic capacity)

• LT2 heart rate rises (greater power output)

• Sustainable race pace increases

• Perceived effort at sub-threshold efforts decreases

These are the adaptations that matter most for trail and ultra running.

Why Lactate Testing + Human Coaching Beats Apps and Algorithms

Many apps estimate your zones using formulas or incomplete data.
That’s fine for casual runners — but not for athletes who want accuracy, performance, and long-term progress.

At Trail Addiction Coaching, lactate testing is just the first step.

We combine it with:

Real Conversation

We talk to you about fatigue, stress, motivation, sleep, life load — things an algorithm can’t see.

Context

Was that hard week due to training load… or a stressful month at work?
Data alone can't answer that.

Human Interpretation

Two athletes with the same lactate numbers might need completely different training approaches.

Long-Term Planning

We integrate your goals, race calendar, strengths, weaknesses, technique, and preferences into a plan grounded in physiology and built for you.

AI can give you numbers.
Coaching gives you understanding.

Who Benefits Most From Lactate Testing?

Perfect for:

• Ultra runners (Kepler, Old Ghost, Tarawera, UTMB qualifiers)

• Trail & mountain runners

• Marathoners and half-marathoners

• Multisport & Coast to Coast athletes

• Athletes returning from injury

• Anyone who has plateaued

• Anyone who wants to train with purpose, not guesswork

If you’re serious about improving — lactate testing is one of the strongest tools available.

The Trail Addiction Coaching Difference

When you book lactate testing with us, you get:

• A full treadmill test

• Analysis of LT1, LT2, aerobic efficiency, lactate curve, and pacing

• Personalised HR and pace zones

• A detailed performance report

• A coaching conversation on how to apply the results

• Optional integration into a personalised training plan

Our goal is simple:
Give you the knowledge, clarity, and structure to become the best athlete you can be.

Ready to Train With Precision?

Book your lactate test or enquire about coaching at:

trailaddictioncoaching.com

Train smarter. Race stronger.
Because ordinary isn’t in your nature.