Santos, T. M., & Comes, P. S. (1997). Reproducibility of metabolic thresholds using two different exercise protocols in long-distance runners. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 29(5), Supplement abstract 1160.

Several authors have shown that the determination of anaerobic threshold is dependent upon both criterion and protocol used.

This investigation tested a group of long-distance male runners (N = 10) on two different protocols:

• 4 min warm-up at 3.5 mph and 0% slope. The test used a 2% slope and started at 5 mph increasing every 2 min by 1.1 mph to exhaustion.
• 6 min warm-up at 0% slope (3 min at 3 mph, and 3 min that elicited 60% VO2peak). The test used individually determined speed increments.

It was found that most criteria for ventilatory thresholds were significantly related in both protocols. The sizes of the relationships ranged from .83 to .85. However, one of the two lactate threshold points was reproducible (r = .66) and the other not (r = .52).

Implication. This investigation yielded significant statistical relationships in some ventilatory and lactate threshold criteria. However, the size of those relationships was very low in the lactate threshold measures, with more disassociation than commonality being exhibited. Ventilatory thresholds were more related but still contained a large proportion of disassociation between the two protocols.

In practical terms, when lactate threshold is assessed with two different protocols, obtained values should not be equated/compared because there will be more disassociation than association contained in the numbers. However, with ventilatory thresholds there is slightly more association than disassociation between at least the two protocols used here. However, caution is warranted when comparing ventilatory thresholds because there still will be a sizable amount of disassociation among them.

Return to Table of Contents for this issue.