WE WORK OUTSIDE THE THRESHOLD
After describing the threshold works, let's go further and push the accelerator a little more. So let's talk about lactate.
Before going into describing the methods with which to train this characteristic, let's do some hints of physiology, to better understand what happens to our body when we work to the limit.
Let's start by describing lactic acid: it is a product of cellular metabolism, toxic for our organism. Its high concentration in the blood causes the so-called muscle fatigue. It is formed when oxygen is no longer sufficient for energy production and an accessory mechanism for the synthesis of ATP is activated, called anaerobic lactacid. In this process, the necessary energy is obtained without the use of oxygen, in this way a considerable amount of energy is released, but as a contraindication, a harmful waste substance is formed, precisely lactic acid. In minimal doses this substance is disposed of by the liver, metabolized by the heart muscle and reused for energy purposes, but when it exceeds a given amount, which is around 3,9-4 mmlo / L then the body is unable to absorb it. at best, the muscles involved in the exercise begin to feel strong burning and the intensity must be considerably reduced in a short time.
This is to give some basic information on lactate. But is it useful for the agonist? How should the hiker approach such intense training? What are the methods to train it?
Let's go in order and begin to say that for the agonist it is important insert workouts that stimulate lactate tolerance and improve anaerobic power.This is because competitions, whether they are enduro or xc, require very high rhythms and having excellent lactate tolerance improves performance, furthermore training the body at sub-maximal rhythms allows you to also speed up waste disposal processes, cardiac elasticity and respiratory capacity. All important components for the achievement of one's goals.
If we think in particular of an enduro race, we notice how there are many moments where having an excellent anaerobic capacity can make the difference. The start, the burning shots out of the corners, the jerks and stretches that can last even tens of seconds, are all situations where excellent anaerobic capacity is required and a well-trained body manages to avoid breathlessness and decay in performance. So definitely the agonist must include jobs that stimulate lactate in your schedule.
If we talk about hikers, the situation becomes different. When we talked about the anaerobic threshold I stated that it was a training that even the hiker had to take into consideration, if we talk instead of work on lactate the speech is more delicate. This is a training that provides a remarkable athletic maturity, where the motivational component also plays an important role, therefore I would advise against hikers to try their hand at this adventure since it would add nothing to his driving pleasure, it would even risk tiring his body too much.
Finally, how does lactate train?
With the repeated ones. The key training means is that of interspersed work, whether they are with almost total or partial recovery, both Fartlek rather than progressions, but generally one reaches the physiological limits, when the muscles give way, the breath seems short and the push on pedal becomes hard and difficult. Depending on whether you want to stimulate lactate tolerance, its disposal or pure potency, more or less extensive recovery times will be evaluated.
An example of work is the combined one, where there are a few minutes at the medium, a progression of a few minutes at the threshold and a maximum progression that lasts from 30 "to 1'30" depending on the level of the athlete. In this case there is a gradual increase in intensity which gradually elevates the heart rate. Here the presence of lactic acid will be considerable and the physiological limit will be sought. Nausea and vomiting can accompany work of this type.
Another method that leads to improving lactacid tolerance are strength-oxygen climbs. This training tool is often included in a more articulated strength program and involves carrying out a few minutes (max 4 ') with the SFR method followed by a stretch of the same time at the threshold. In this case, the SFR method leads the muscle to work in hypoxia and the subsequent stroke at threshold rhythms forces the body to move with a greater acidosis.
The last method is that of repeated as well, drink strokes (max 1 ′) done at all. In this way the amount of energy needed is not guaranteed by oxygen and immediately goes into acidosis, often the pulsations do not reach the maximum values but this is because the heart muscle is not sufficiently elastic to support the needs of the legs. In this case it is necessary to reach that sensation of muscular pain that prevents the continuation of the effort.
Three tools different from each other both as a method and as an objective, which however have a common denominator which is to put the organism in difficulty to stimulate the superconpensation processes that allow us to improve and justify the efforts made.
However, care must be taken in using this type of training, it is important to be followed by trained personnel to avoid incurring episodes of overtraining, easy when you work for too long at such high rates.
