Here’s how lactate concentrations in training can help to control fat metabolism. We reveal the link between lactate and fat, talk about the lactate concentration at FatMax and explain why knowing an athlete’s lactate levels in training is crucial to control fat metabolism. BONUS: know your athlete’s lactate concentration without measuring it.
The popularity of training at the highest fat oxidation rate (FatMax) got a boost when Iñigo San Millán shared that Tadej Pogačar spends 80% of the training days at a high fat oxidation intensity.
Unfortunately, monitoring fat metabolism in training is difficult. However, San Millán’s research shows that lactate concentrations are a good marker for fat metabolism.
Additional benefit: you can predict lactate concentrations, without actually measuring them. More about that in a bit.
Not sure why you would want to control fat metabolism in training? Read our zone 2 training article first!
As lactate guru George Brooks showed: lactate is always the end product of glycolysis. Since glycolysis uses carbohydrates as a fuel, it will come as no surprise that lactate concentrations are positively correlated with carbohydrate metabolism.
Fat metabolism on the other hand, is negatively correlated with lactate concentrations. When exercise intensity goes up and lactate concentrations rise, fat oxidation goes down. At lactate threshold intensity and higher, fat metabolism doesn’t play a significant role anymore.
Research shows that lactate inhibits fat metabolism.
Lactate is negatively correlated with fat metabolism, so you’d expect FatMax to occur at low lactate concentrations.
In a previous article we’ve seen that the initial rise in blood lactate – also known as LT1 – is often used as a marker for FatMax. Some athletes and coaches determine LT1 – and therefore FatMax – based on a lactate concentration of 2 mmol/l.
However, literature shows that the lactate concentration at maximal fat oxidation (FatMax) depends on the incremental exercise test protocol. In various studies, lactate concentrations at FatMax range between 1.5 – 3.5 mmol/l.
It is therefore more straightforward to express the FatMax intensity in power or pace, instead of a lactate concentration.
The INSCYD physiological performance analysis software allows you to determine your FatMax based on a test protocol of your choice. This could be a power meter or GPS watch test, a lactate test or a lab test.
You not only get your athletes’ FatMax intensity, but also their FatMax training zone and fat metabolism depending on the exercise intensity:
But wait! Didn’t we just say knowing your lactate concentration during training is crucial to control fat metabolism?!
You can exercise at FatMax intensity and still don’t burn any fat.
For instance when returning to FatMax intensity after a 3 minute high intensity interval. That is because athletes accumulated lactate during the interval, and the body will first use this lactate as a fuel before it will start burning fat again.
With the INSCYD performance software, you can predict how long it will take before lactate concentrations are recovered from previous intervals. As a result, you know when fat combustion is up to speed again, without the need to pause training for a lactate measurement.
Discover how fast your athletes are able to clear lactate with the highly individual INSCYD lactate recovery & accumulation graph:
Learn exactly how to use this graph to predict lactate concentrations and therefore fat metabolism.
Prefer to predict the lactate concentration during training? Use the INSCYD Training Zone Builder!
It can calculate your athlete’s lactate concentration after spending 15 minutes in the FatMax zone (example). It can also tell you how fast an athlete should swim, bike, run, ski etc. to reach a lactate concentration of 2.0 mmol/l.
Still interested in the actual blood lactate concentration? Take our free e-learning course on how to accurately measure it:
Endurance training increases the ability to clear lactate and burn fat. This results in lower lactate concentrations and a higher fat metabolism at a given exercise intensity.Download 3 tips to increase Fat Combustion.
Well trained athletes can burn much more fat per minute and do so at higher absolute and relative intensities, compared to moderate or untrained athletes.
Therefore, lactate concentrations and fat metabolism are important markers for endurance performance. It also shows the importance of regular testing during an endurance training program, to ensure you’re still using the right training intensities.
Take your coaching to the next level with INSCYD’s comprehensive metabolic profiling. INSCYD software delivers lab-accurate insights on fat metabolism, lactate recovery, and much more—without the need for lab equipment. You’ll be equipped to create precise, individualized training plans that optimize performance for every athlete, whether in the field or remotely.
Empower your coaching with actionable data, enhance your athletes’ development, and differentiate yourself in a competitive market. Ready to see how INSCYD can transform your approach?
Book a free demo today and experience the future of performance analysis.
Gain deep insights into your athletes’ unique physiology with 360° metabolic profiling. Tailor training programs precisely, optimize performance, and accelerate results using accurate data collected remotely or in field or in lab setting without additional equipment.
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