- The ability of the muscles to reach a peak performance during an athletic event requires that the energy systems providing energy be "fine-tuned" or "balanced" properly so that the athlete can generate the highest amount of energy per unit of time during a race
- Proper training is what accomplishes this fine-tuning or optimal balance of the aerobic and anaerobic systems and it is lactate testing that lets the coach know if the balance has been obtained or how each energy system must be trained in order to obtain the balance
Why Lactate is Unique
Lactate is the unique metabolic variable that indicates the capability of the muscles for an athletic performance
Lactate is an output of the anaerobic process and a fuel for the aerobic process
Blood lactate levels during different levels of exercise can measure he strength of each system