Agreement of maximal lactate steady state with critical power and physiological thresholds in rowing
Leonardo Trevisol Possamai, Fernando Klitzke Borszcz, Rafael Alves de Aguiar, Ricardo Dantas de Lucas, Tiago Turnes
Abstract
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was threefold: (a) to compare the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) with critical power (CP); (b) to describe the relationship of MLSS with rowing performances; and (c) to verify the agreement of MLSS with several exercise intensity thresholds in rowers. Fourteen male rowers (mean [SD]: age = 26 [13] years; height = 1.82 [0.05] m; body mass = 81.0 [7.6] kg) performed on a rowing ergometer: (I) discontinuous incremental test with 3 min stages and 30‐s recovery intervals (INC 3min ); (II) continuous incremental test with 60‐s stages (INC 1min ); (III) two to four constant workload tests to determine MLSS; and (IV) performance tests of 500, 1000, 2000 and 6000 m to determine CP. Twenty‐seven exercise intensity thresholds based on blood lactate, heart rate and ventilatory responses were determined by incremental tests, and then compared with MLSS. CP (257 [38] W) was higher than MLSS (187 [25] W; p < 0.001), with a very large mean difference (37%), large typical error of estimate (14%) and moderate correlation ( r = 0.48). Despite the correlations between MLSS and most intensity thresholds ( r > 0.70), all presented low correspondence (TEE > 5%), with a lower bias found between MLSS and the first intensity thresholds (−12.5% to 4.1%). MLSS was correlated with mean power during 500 m ( r = 0.65), 1000 m ( r = 0.86) and 2000 m ( r = 0.78). In conclusion, MLSS intensity is substantially lower than CP and presented low agreement with 27 incremental‐derived thresholds, questioning their use to estimate MLSS during rowing ergometer exercise. Highlights MLSS was substantially lower than CP in rowing exercise with a mean difference of 37%, much larger than the difference commonly found in running and cycling exercise (i.e., ?10%). A clear disagreement was reported between MLSS and 27 physiological thresholds determined in different incremental tests. There is a positive association of MLSS with 500, 1000 and 2000 m rowing ergometer performance tests.