How to Increase Your Lactate Threshold

During physical activity, your body produces a substance called lactate. Your lactate threshold is the point during intense exercise when your body begins to produce lactate faster than it can eliminate it. When this happens, you may feel sore, short of breath, and exhausted.^{[1]XResearch source} Everyone’s lactate threshold is different, so try to determine yours before you work on increasing it. Raise your threshold by gradually increasing your training volume, doing tempo runs, and doing interval training. You may also be able to boost your threshold with branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Determining Your Lactate Threshold

1
Get your lactate threshold tested at an exercise lab. In a traditional lactate threshold test, a technician will draw small amounts of your blood at various points during an incremental exercise test. The exercise test is typically carried out on a treadmill or stationary bike, with the intensity of the exercise increasing after every 3-minute interval. Your blood will be taken at the end of each interval.^{[2]XResearch source}
- The average person will hit their lactate threshold once they reach about 50-60% of their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). However, trained athletes tend to have a higher threshold (e.g., the lactate threshold occurs at around 85-95% VO2 max for endurance athletes).
- Lactate threshold testing in a lab can be expensive, costing anywhere from $75-$200 USD.
- To find a lab in your area, search for something like “lactate threshold testing near me” or “lactate threshold lab Chicago.”
2
Estimate your lactate threshold with a field test. The field test is less accurate than a traditional lactate test, but it will give you a general estimate of your lactate threshold. Set your treadmill at a 1% grade, and do about 10 minutes of easy jogging to warm up. Then run for 30 minutes at the fastest pace you can maintain for that period of time. Note your heart rate at 10 minutes and again at 30 minutes, and divide the sum by 2 to determine your average heart rate at your lactate threshold. Your average pace during the run should be the approximate pace you can maintain at lactate threshold.
- This test works best on a treadmill that measures your time, running distance, and heart rate.
- Do this test at a time when you are well-rested and not tired from recent training or intense exercise.
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3
Use a non-invasive LED sensor to measure lactate levels. You can test your own lactate levels during exercise with an LED sensor device that attaches to your calf. These devices feed data into a smartphone app that can calculate your lactate threshold pace and heart rate. The app also guides you through the test workout.
- Production of the most widely available device of this type, the BSXinsight, has recently been discontinued. However, similar devices are currently in development.
- The BSXinsight device cost about $300 USD, while similar devices, such as the Moxy muscle oxygen monitor, may cost $800 USD or more. The Moxy does not measure lactate levels, but can be used to get a ballpark estimate of your lactate threshold, much like the field test.^{[3]XResearch source}
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Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Increasing Your Training Volume

1
Set a weekly training goal. The best way to start increasing your lactate threshold is to gradually increase your weekly training time. Work with your personal trainer or coach to set a reasonable target goal and discuss the best way to reach that goal.^{[4]XResearch source}
- For example, if you are currently doing 100 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week, you might set a goal of working up to 200 minutes per week.
- If you don’t have a trainer or coach, ask your primary healthcare provider for advice. They may be able to refer you to someone who can help you meet your fitness goals.
2
Increase your training volume by 10-20% per week. Work up to your target training volume gradually to achieve the best and safest results. Increase your exercise time each week in increments of 10-20%—whichever works best for you.^{[5]XResearch source}
- If you’re going from 100 to 200 minutes of exercise per week at an increase of 20% per week, you should reach your goal in 4 weeks.
3
Keep the intensity light while you are increasing your exercise volume. As you’re gradually ramping up your total exercise time, keep your level of exertion light and easy. Don’t worry about using an objective measure of intensity. Instead, focus on how intense the exercise feels to you.^{[6]XResearch source}
- The goal is to keep your level of exertion around 11-12 (“fairly light”) on the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, which you can view here: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/borg-scale/. Your level of activity should feel comfortable (e.g., walking at a pace that is not fast enough to significantly increase your breathing and heart rate).
4
Vary your time per session. You don’t always have to exercise for the same amount of time during each training session. Work with your trainer to figure out what works best for you. However, aim for a minimum time of 10 minutes per session.^{[7]XResearch source}
- For example, you might do a low-intensity 45-minute treadmill session one day, and 2 20-minute sessions the next.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Boosting Your Threshold with Tempo Runs

1
Determine your maximum steady state (MSS) pace. Your maximum steady state (MSS) is the maximum running speed you can maintain without your lactate levels spiking. If you can’t determine your exact MSS (e.g., using lactate testing in a lab), estimate it by assessing your level of exertion during running. You should feel like you are exercising “somewhat hard” to “hard” (13-15 on the Rating of Perceived Exertion scale).^{[8]XResearch source}
- A good general measure of exertion is how heavily you are breathing and how fast your heart is beating. When you are exercising “somewhat hard,” your heart rate and breathing should be slightly elevated, but you won’t feel out of breath. At a “hard” level of exertion, you should be breathing fast and feel your heart speeding up or pounding.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Your MSS pace is typically a pace that you could maintain for up to an hour.^{[10]XResearch source}
- If you can, find your exact MSS pace by doing a test in an exercise lab.
2
Incorporate tempo runs into your weekly workout routine. A tempo run is a run that is performed at your MSS pace, right at your lactate threshold. Incorporating tempo running or some other steady state exercise into your regular routine can help gradually increase your lactate threshold. Devote no more than 10% of your weekly cardiovascular exercise time to tempo running or other steady state exercises.^{[11]XResearch source}
- For example, if you are doing 200 minutes of cardio per week, do a 20-minute tempo run each week.
Before starting a tempo run, do 20 minutes of running at a light, easy pace. You should feel like you are exerting some effort, but not so much that you are breathing heavily or feel your heart pounding.^{[12]XResearch source}
4
Run for 20 minutes at your MSS pace. After you warm up, it’s time to pick up the pace. Run fast enough so that you feel you are working yourself hard, but not so hard that you don’t think you could maintain the pace for a full hour.^{[13]XResearch source}
- At this pace, you may feel your heart beating fast and find it difficult to speak more than a few words at a time.
After 20 minutes of hard running, slow down to an easy pace again. Maintain the light run or jog for 10 minutes.^{[14]XResearch source}
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Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Raising Your Threshold with Interval Training

1
Work out above your lactate threshold. Interval training is a type of workout that alternates short bouts of high-intensity aerobic exercise with short recovery intervals of low-intensity exercise. Each interval should only last a few minutes at a time. The high-intensity bouts should be done above your lactic threshold—in other words, you should feel like you are working very hard (17-18 on the Scale of Perceived Exertion), at around the highest level of activity you can sustain for longer than a few minutes at a time.^{[15]XResearch source}
- At this level of exercise, you will feel your heart pounding very fast and may be breathing hard enough that it is difficult to speak.^{[16]XResearch source}
2
Incorporate interval training into your weekly routine. To get the most out of interval training, plan to do 1 session every week. However, to avoid injury and overwork, interval training should account for no more than 10% of your weekly cardiovascular activity.^{[17]XResearch source}
- For example, if you are doing 200 minutes of cardio each week, do no more than 20 minutes of interval training total per week.
- If you are also doing steady state exercises, like tempo runs, avoid scheduling this type of exercise close to your weekly interval training. Give yourself 2 days to recover between these types of training.
3
Develop a high-intensity interval training routine. There are many ways to do high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Work with your trainer or coach to choose a routine that works best for you. For example, you might try 4 rounds of the following routine, with 12-second periods of inactivity between each exercise:^{[18]XResearch source}
- 35 seconds of drop lunges.
- 35 seconds of burpee crunches.
- 35 seconds of plank jack hops.
- 35 seconds of step to jump squats.
- 35 seconds of pop jacks.
- 35 seconds of triceps back presses.
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Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Using BCAA Supplements

1
Talk to your doctor or dietitian about BCAA supplements. BCAA (branched-chain amino acid) supplements may help increase your endurance and raise your lactate threshold.^{[19]XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source} While these supplements are relatively safe when taken at recommended doses, it’s important to talk to your doctor about your health history and any medications you are currently taking that might interact with the supplements. Let your doctor know if you:^{[20]XResearch source}
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Have ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. There is some evidence that BCAA supplements may be linked to higher rates of lung failure and death in ALS patients.
- Have a condition called branched-chain ketoaciduria, which may cause seizures and other severe health problems if your intake of BCAAs increases.
- Struggle with alcohol addiction.
- Are taking certain kinds of medications, such as levodopa, diabetes medications, diazoxide, corticosteroids, or thyroid hormones.
2
Buy BCAA supplements verified by a third party reviewer. Since the FDA does not regulate dietary supplements, it’s important to buy brands you can trust. Look for BCAA supplements that have been certified by a third party reviewer such as USP (United States Pharmacopeia), ConsumerLab or NSF (National Sanitation Foundation).
- Look for a third party certification seal on the container when you are selecting supplements to buy.
Most BCAA sports supplements are in the form of powdered drink mixes, and are intended to be consumed right before or during a workout. Read the instructions on the label carefully, and do not take more than the recommended dosage.
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Tips

As you work on increasing your lactate threshold, it may be helpful to retest your levels occasionally. For example, you might take a new lactate threshold test after reaching your new weekly exercise goal.
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Warnings

Always consult your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you have any injuries or other health concerns.
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