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Training effect on performance, substrate balance and blood lactate concentration at maximal lactate steady state in master endurance-runners

  • Exercise, Temperature Regulation
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Abstract

Training effects on time-to-exhaustion, substrate and blood lactate balances at the maximal lactate steady state velocity (MLSSv) were examined. Eleven male, veteran, long-distance runners performed three tests before and after 6 weeks of training at MLSSv: an incremental test to determine maximum O2 uptake (V̇O2,max) and the velocity at the lactate threshold (vLT), a sub-maximal test of two stages of 20 min at 95 and 105% of vLT separated by 40 min rest to determine the MLSSv and the corresponding lactate concentration (MLSSc) and a time-to-exhaustion run at MLSSv for which the substrate balance was calculated. Duration and distance run at MLSSv increased dramatically respectively from 44±10 to 63±12 min and from 10.4 to 15.7 km respectively (P<0.01). MLSSv increased significantly with training but the relative fraction of V̇O2,max remained the same (85.2±4.5 vs. 85.3±5.2%, P=0.93). MLSSc was unaffected by training as determined from the percentage of energy yielded by carbohydrates (80%) during the exhaustive run at MLSSv. These findings show that training at MLSS elicits small increases in MLSSv and V̇O2,max, but enhances time-to-exhaustion (endurance) at MLSSv substantially (+50%). Training does not change the proportion of carbohydrate oxidized, which is the major substrate used during an exhaustive run at MLSS lasting 1 h.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the Fondation d’Entreprise Gaz de France.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Médecine du Sport CCAS, 2 avenue Richerand, 75010, Paris, France

    Veronique Billat & Jean Pierre Koralsztein

  2. Unité de Formation et de Recherche Fondamentale et Appliquée, Laboratoire des Interactions Gène et Entraînement, Université d’Evry-Val d’Essonne, Boulevard Francois Mitterrand, 94025, Evry Cedex, France

    Veronique Billat & Pierre-Marie Lepretre

  3. Service des Explorations fonctionnelles et respiratoires, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, 37 avenue du doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France

    Pascal Sirvent

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  1. Veronique Billat
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  2. Pascal Sirvent
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  4. Jean Pierre Koralsztein
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Correspondence to Veronique Billat.

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Billat, V., Sirvent, P., Lepretre, PM. et al. Training effect on performance, substrate balance and blood lactate concentration at maximal lactate steady state in master endurance-runners. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 447, 875–883 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-003-1215-8

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