Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2007; 28(6): 463-469
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-924584
Physiology & Biochemistry

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Estimation of the Lactate Threshold from Heart Rate Response to Submaximal Exercise: The Pulse Deficit

B. T. Roseguini1 , F. Narro1 , Á. R. Oliveira3 , J. P. Ribeiro1 , 2
  • 1Cardiology Division, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
  • 2Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Porto Alegre, Brazil
  • 3Exercise Research Laboratory, School of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Further Information

Publication History

Accepted after revision: July 5, 2006

Publication Date:
16 November 2006 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the validity of a sharp increase in pulse deficit (PD) as a noninvasive index for estimation of the first lactate threshold (LT1) in healthy individuals with various levels of aerobic fitness. Three groups of healthy male subjects participated in the study: 15 sedentary individuals, 14 students of physical education, and 13 competitive athletes. Each subject performed a maximal incremental exercise test on the cycle ergometer for the determination of the LT1, the second lactate threshold, and peak power output. On different days, subjects performed several 8-min bouts of constant-load exercise on the cycle ergometer, corresponding to each of the power outputs of the maximal test, to evaluate PD, which was calculated as the total number of heart beats of the last 4 min minus the total number of heart beats in the first 4 min of exercise. The three groups presented similar blood lactate, heart rate and pulse deficit responses to exercise. For the first power output up to the LT1, PD showed no significant changes. For the three groups, a sharp increase in PD was seen at the intensity immediately above LT1. There was a significant correlation between PD and blood lactate changes from the rest to 4th min of submaximal exercise (r = 0.83, p < 0.05). The power output before a sharp increase in PD detected during constant-load exercise (112 ± 38 W) and the power output corresponding to the LT1 detected during the incremental test (111 ± 37 W, p = 0.323) were similar and strongly correlated (r = 0.99, p = 0.0001). The absolute cut-point value of 25 beats for PD had a sensitivity of 100 %, a specificity of 95 %, and a positive predictive value of 90 % for the detection of LT1. The determination of PD provides an accurate noninvasive estimate of the LT1 in healthy young men with different levels of fitness. One 8-min submaximal exercise bout can establish if an individual is exercising above or below the LT1.

Key words

Aerobic threshold - anaerobic threshold - blood lactate - fitness

References

  • 1 Beaver W, Wasserman K, Whipp B. Improved detection of lactate threshold during exercise using a log-log transformation.  J Appl Physiol. 1985;  59 1936-1940
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Bertoluci M, Friedman G, Schaan B, Ribeiro J P, Schmidt H. Intensity-related exercise albuminuria in insulin-dependent diabetic patients.  Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 1993;  19 217-225
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Browman S, Wigertz O. Transient dynamics of ventilation and heart rate with step changes in work load from different load levels.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1971;  81 54-74
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Clausell N, Ludwig E, Narro F, Ribeiro J P. Response of left ventricular diastolic filling to graded exercise relative to the lactate threshold.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1993;  67 222-225
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Colucci W S, Ribeiro J P, Rocco M B, Quigg R J, Creager M A, Marsh J D, Gauthier D F, Hartley L H. Impaired chronotropic response to exercise in patients with heart failure: role of postsynaptic beta-adrenergic desensitization.  Circulation. 1989;  80 314-323
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Conconi F, Grazzi G, Gasoni I, Guglielmini C, Borsetto C, Ballarin E, Mazzoni G, Patracchini M, Manfredini F. The Conconi test: methodology after 12 years of application.  Int J Sports Med. 1996;  17 509-519
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Deuster P A, Chrousos G P, Luger A, DeBolt J E, Bernier L L, Trostman U H, Kyle S B, Montgomery L C, Loriaux D L. Hormonal and metabolic responses of untrained, moderately trained, and highly trained men to three exercise intensities.  Metabolism. 1989;  38 141-148
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Engelen M K, Schols A M, Does J D, Gosker H R, Deutz N E, Wouters E F. Exercise-induced lactate increase in relation to muscle substrates in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Am J Resp Crit Care Med. 2000;  162 1697-1704
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Gaesser G, Poole D. The slow component of oxygen uptake kinetics in humans.  Exerc Sci Sports Rev. 1996;  24 35-71
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Gallo Jr L, Maciel B, Marin-Neto J A, Martins L. Sympathetic and parasympathetic changes in heart rate control during dynamic exercise induced by endurance training in man.  Braz J Med Biol Res. 1989;  22 631-643
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Gladden L B. Lactate metabolism: a new paradigm for the third millennium.  J Physiol. 2004;  558 (Pt 1) 5-30
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Hagberg J, Hickson R, Ehsani A, Holloszy J. Faster adjustment to and recovery from submaximal exercise in the trained state.  J Appl Physiol. 1980;  48 218-224
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Hanley J A, McNeil B L. The meaning and use of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.  Radiology. 1982;  143 29-36
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Harris E A, Porter B B. On the heart rate during exercise, the esophageal temperature and the oxygen debt.  Quart J Exptl Physiol. 1958;  43 313-319
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Hohorst H J. Lactate Determination with Lactic Acid Dehydrogenase and DPN Method of Enzymatic Analysis. Winheim; Verlag Chemie 1965
    Google Scholar
  • 16 Krzeminski K, Nazar K, Cybulsky G, Niewiadomski W. Endurance training slows down the kinetics of heart rate increase in the transition from moderate to heavier submaximal exercise intensities.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1991;  62 297-300
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Maciel B, Gallo Jr L, Marin Neto J A, Filho E, Martins L. Autonomic nervous control of the heart rate during dynamic exercise in normal man.  Clin Sci. 1986;  71 457-460
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Marcus J, Ingram R, McLean R. The threshold of anaerobic metabolism in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A promising index of evaluation.  Am Rev Resp Dis. 1971;  104 490-498
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Mazzeo R, Marshall P. Influence of plasma catecholamines on the lactate threshold during graded exercise.  J Appl Physiol. 1989;  67 1319-1322
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Meyer T, Lucia A, Earnest C P, Kindermann W. Conceptual framework for performance diagnosis and training prespriction from submaximal gas exchange parameters - theory and application.  Int J Sports Med. 2005;  26 (Suppl 1) S38-S48
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Myers J, Ashley E. Dangerous curves. A perspective on exercise, lactate and the anaerobic threshold.  Chest. 1997;  111 787-795
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Nery L, Wasserman K, Andrews J, Huntsman D, Hansen J, Whipp B. Ventilatory and gas exchange kinetics during exercise in chronic airway obstruction.  J Appl Physiol. 1982;  53 1594-1602
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Orizio C, Perini R, Comande A, Castellano M, Beschi M, Veicsteinas A. Plasma catecholamines and heart rate at the beginning of muscular exercise in man.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1988;  57 644-651
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Péronnet F, Cléroux J, Perraut H, Cousineau D, Champlain J, Nadeu R. Plasma norepinephrine response to exercise before and after training in humans.  J Appl Physiol. 1981;  51 812-815
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Polanczyk C A, Rohde L EP, Moraes R S, Ferlin E L, Leite C, Ribeiro J P. Sympathetic nervous system representation in time and frequency domain indices of heart rate variability.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1998;  79 69-73
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Ribeiro J P, Cadavid E, Baena J, Monsalvete E, Barna A, De Rose E H. Metabolic predictors of middle-distance swimming performance.  Br J Sports Med. 1990;  24 196-200
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Ribeiro J P, Fielding R, Hughes V, Black A, Bochese M, Knuttgen H. Heart rate break point may coincide with the anaerobic and not the aerobic threshold.  Int J Sports Med. 1985;  6 220-224
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Ribeiro J P, Hughes V, Fielding R, Holden W, Evans W, Knuttgen H. Metabolic and ventilatory responses to steady state exercise relative to lactate thresholds.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1986;  55 215-221
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Ribeiro J P, Ibañez J M, Stein R. Autonomic nervous control of the heart rate response to dynamic incremental exercise: evaluation of the Rosenblueth-Simeone model.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1991;  62 140-144
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Svedahl K, Macintosh B R. Anaerobic threshold: the concept and methods of measurement.  Can J Appl Physiol. 2003;  28 299-323
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Whipp B, Ward S. Cardiopulmonary coupling during exercise.  J Exp Biol. 1982;  100 175-193
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Yamamoto Y, Hughson R, Nakamura Y. Autonomic nervous system responses to exercise in relation to ventilatory threshold.  Chest. 1992;  101 206S-210S
    PubMedGoogle Scholar

MD, ScD Jorge P. Ribeiro

Associate Professor and Chief of Noninvasive Cardiology
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre

Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350

90035 - 007, Porto Alegre, RS

Brazil

Phone: + 55 51 99 82 49 84

Fax: + 55 51 21 01 86 57

Email: jpribeiro@cpovo.net

      >