calculating hr zones

Hi cindy, I have been thinking of having my Lactate Threshold done as well, did you use a blood test or treadmill test, also was it expensive?

As for your request, if you will go to my blog there is a hyperlink to my last lactate threshold test in the "Future Goals Header,"  in that link (which is the third one down) there are the percentages I used to calculate my zones for running, these percentages are taken from Joe Friel's contribution in "Precision Heart Rate Training"

Hi Kimj...I didn't have my LT tested, I got my VO2 max tested.  I'm still using the numbers from Friel's LT protocols for swim and run tho until I figure out how to use the VO2 max.  I put it into my hrm and now I think I have a more accurate heart rate max, but that's about it.  And the only zones I can find for hr max are the old 50-60 zone 1, 60-70 is zone 2 type stuff.  I was wondering if there's anything more current out there, I guess.

It didn't cost anything because I'm doing it as part of a study at my school...for the price of a VO2 max test they bought themselves a guinea pig

Since I haven't gotten much in the way of replies here on BT, tomorrow I'll email the professor running the study.  I'm sure she'll know what to do with it!  She did say that using the test results would be better than using Friel's stuff, just becuause the test is so darn accurate.  It really amazed me the stuff she got from that test!!!!

I am not a physiologist, but I hope the expanation below will be of sufficient help to you.

Your VO2max is the maximum oxigen your body can use during an effort while staying aerobic. It will happen at a given heart rate, which you probably received in the report as well. Any effort above that takes you into full anaerobic effort, therefore into heavy production of lactate. Lactate production increases even during aerobic effort.

Lactate Treshold or Anaerobic Treshold occurs when the amount of lactate being produced is higher than what the body can eliminate. Generally that occurs anywhere between 80 and 85% of  VO2max. In other words, the HR at which you reached 83% of VO2max is your LT heart rate. 

From that you can calculate your zones using Friel's percentages of LT. VO2max is a better method only because is a lab experiment, but while VO2max  on a trained individual dos not generally change much, LT may vary slightly. Friel's takes into consideration that since nobody can go anaerobic for too long, the average of your maximum effort during an extensive period of time should be the max one can do before going anaerobic, therefore either LT or very close to it.

Thank you so much!! This is exactly the info I wanted.  Now I just have to get hold of that hr at 83%...but I'm certain she still has that.  Thank you again