Prediction of lactate threshold and fixed blood lactate concentrations from 3200-m running performance in male runners.

To determine the effectiveness of a 3200-m time trial for predicting VO2 and running velocity at lactate threshold (LT), fixed blood lactate concentrations of 2.0, 2.5, and 4.0 mM, and peak, 42 male runners (means age = 31.1 +/- 8.3 years; means ht = 176.8 +/- 6.6 cm; means wt = 70.4 +/- 10.0 kg) completed a VO2 peak/LT test and a 3200-m time trial. The continuous treadmill protocol started at 0% grade 150 m/min and increased 10 m/min every 3 min until exhaustion. Velocity at LT, 2.0, 2.5, and 4.0 mM was determined from individual velocity blood lactate relationships, and VO2 values were determined from individual plots ov VO2 vs velocity. VO2 peak and velocity peak were chosen as the highest values observed. Oxygen uptake at LT, 2.0, 2.5, 4.0 mM, and peak was 52.51, 56.61, 58.31, 61.70, and 64.21 ml/kg.min-1, respectively, while the velocities associated with LT, 2.0, 2.5, 4.0 mM, and peak were 235.5, 251.5, 259.8, 273.5, and 285.5 m/min, respectively. During the 3200-m time trial (means time = 11.28 +/- 0.96 min), 400-m split times and cumulative times were recorded. Twenty-nine subjects were randomly assigned to a validation sample and the remaining subjects were used for cross-validation purposes. Regression analysis revealed that a 3200-m time trial was a good predictor of both VO2 (ml/kg.min-1) and velocity (m/min) at LT, 2.0, 2.5, 4.0 mM, and peak.