Blood Lactate Testing for Cyclists

Abstract: Blood lactate tests have been used in the lab and field to test athletes for decades. Many coaching services these days offer blood lactate testing for cyclists. Most businesses selling blood lactate testing services will promote this test as being beneficial, but is blood lactate testing really a valid test for cyclists? Are there better, more cost effective methods of testing cyclists? In this presentation we will critically analyze the use of blood lactate tests for cyclists. We will discuss how the tests are done, their validity, their cost effectiveness, and alternatives to them.