This is important.
This is why you will see some players playing at high intensities throughout a whole game and others feeling the burn of lactate. This single factor alone shows that lactic training is not deterimental and fatiguing to the body after many repeated efforts, as CNS work is, and that it helps you train at a greater capacity.
If you have not experienced the body’s ability to recycle lactate by doing intense work for long periods, then you will not understand this concept.
That is a good point scarface.
For such a session what rest periods would you be looking at initially and then progressing to?
Under 1 minute for a fairly fit athlete?
What would be done in between reps? jogging?
Cheers,
Chris
Thanks! The athlete should be fit enough with a base of extensive tempo (or similar aerobic means) to handle this type of workout. That said, rest periods should be between 30-60sec. Being that the rest is so short, just walk to the starting point to do another rep… Because, by the time you slow down and get back to the starting line at least 10-20sec have past. BTW, the starting line and finish line alternate!
Great, thanks for the clarification. It sounds like an excellent workout.
Cheers,
Chris
Lactic acid training is not high intensity when compared to sprinting.
Andy O/Blinky:
“During lactic training the body also learns how to respond to lactic quicker by taking it away from the muscles and recycling it into pyruvate and use this for energy!”
I’m doing a Masters paper on this subject right now, and this statement is completely erroneous. Lactic acid training will train the body to BUFFER lactic acid better. The only way for the body to remove and oxidize lactate is by having a well developed aerobic system - the the “recycling into pyruvate” is oxygen dependent. A well developed aerobic system will allow the body to remove lactic acid and deliver it to sites of oxidation through increased capillarization and cardiac output; as well as increasing the metabolic components that allow for recovery from high intensity intermittent exercise and increase the ability to oxidatize lactate (increased myoglobin stores, increased number, size, and density; increased number of aerobic enzymes, increased development of the Type I fibres). If the aerobic system is properly conditionined in conjunction with the ATP-PC system, muscle can actually act as a net CONSUMER of lactate, and oxidize it for energy during the rest periods.
As previously mentioned by Narked, this topic was discussed at length at Charlies seminar in Vancouver, and backed up by Val’s Omegawave results with soccer players. Keep the high intensity training high, and keep the low intensity training low.
Andy O:
"It doesn’t matter how fast you are once you have got lactic in your legs you won’t be able to beat a slower man with lactic tolerence. i have personally experienced this!"
Who cares if you can run at a higher moderate intensity levels for 90 minutes in a soccer match, if the other team already has you down by 3 goals in the first 15 minutes because they’re faster than you!
Again,you’re totally missing the point. Increased AEROBIC development = oxygen delivery during recovery = faster replenishment of ATP-PC and myoglobin stores and increased rates of lactate oxidation (removal) = faster recovery between bouts = DECREASED RELIANCE ON THE ANAEROBIC SYSTEM and LESS LACTATE ACCUMULATION = DECREASED FATIGUE ACCUMULATION! This in turn allows the Type II fibres to perform at higher levels over repeated bouts, and hence increase both speed and performance.
While I agree with what you’re saying, the “buffering” effects of Lactic Acid training also have a significant role in team sports like soccer. That said, the type of SE/SR workout in my aforementioned post develops that system using a high rate of intensity --90+ %
Although developing the aerobic system can increase lactate oxidation/recovery; ALL the aerobic work in the world can’t TOTALLY prevent lactic/hydrogen ions accumulation during long term bouts of high intensity work/performance. Hence, the necessity of speed endurance training…
Speed end training though is quite a bit different than lactic accumulation training 
Could you give a few examples of typical speed end workouts to illustrate the differences between the two?
Cheers,
Chris
I can agree with this to a point. But since you brought up both soccer and your aformentioned protocols: During a soccer match how many times do you see an athlete perform repeated sprints that would ever even begin to produce the [BLa] that would be developed from performing 10 x 50 or 4 x 200 m? (IMO, 4 x 200 m at 80% is a good recipe for a slow athlete, especially with the distances and intensities covered in soccer). Most soccer games I’ve watched have involved a few quick short bursts followed by quite a bit of standing/walking/ low-intensity jogging in between.
The questions are: (1) How much lactate is accumulated during a tyical soccer match, and how does that lactate affect performance if at all? (2) Is the lactate accumulation happenining because the athlete does not have sufficient aerobic development to remove and oxidize the lactate during rest periods ?, (3) Is it more important to have increased buffering ability or increased oxidation ability based on the work-rest and high-low intensity ratios seen in the sport? and (4) How will lactate training impact other factors that may play a role in success in the sport (ie. MaxV)?
Opinions?
Chris:
I tend to use the term speed endurance and special endurance training interchangeably at times. After all isn’t special endurance a specialize form of speed endurance??.. The 10x50m w 30s rec workout would be considered a special endurance in the form of split runs (= 500m SE), which IS a Lactic Acid tolerance workout. For the workout to be a speed endurance workout you just need to increase the rest inbetween reps to 2 to 3 mins instead of seconds… Sorry, hope you’re not too confused!
Svass:
You have grossly confused my 4x200m v(versus) 10x50m! I am NOT advocating using 4x200m (intensive tempo) for lactic acid buffering training for soccer. However, I am advocating 10 x50m (Special Endurance/Split runs) for training. The 4x200m was an example of what NOT to do!
As for lactic acid and soccer: Most of the stats I’ve seen ranks soccer as Soccer 50%=ATP-PC& LA, 20%=LA-O2, 30%=O2. However, the problem with measuring soccer energy system requirement is that the rest to run ratio is not set in stone. You might get in a situation where you are running hard for 3-5 sec with only 5-10 sec rec. Depending on how the pace of the game and the ball is moving. In a case like this, no matter your aerobic capacity, a few seconds of rest in between hard runs is NOT enough time for the aerobic system to totally oxidize Lactic Acid!
As for max-v… things have to be prioritize. The question you need to answer is how important is the max-v in the scheme of things for soccer comparing to acceleration, LA training, and aerobic development?
My point is Lactic Acid Buffering training is ALSO important and should NOT be neglected…
Ok, here’s my specific situation. I work with both high school and university women soccer athletes. Due to early specialization and the importance of placed on year-round competition by most coaches in my area, the girls basically play a non-stop year round competitive schedule. The high school girls play summer-fall club competition and spring high school ball. The university athletes play a fall university competition schedule, a spring exhibition schedule and a summer club schedule. (This has lead to a whole lot of other problems - ie. poor athlete development, over use injuries, etc).
My question: Do you perform any specific LA intensive tempo sessions with these athlete, or do you let the game/practice situation develop specific lactate capacity to the game, and use the training periods to develop accel/MaxV, and aerobic capacity?
I comprehend your point…
Honestly, this makes any type of running periodization extremely difficult
I will tell you this much, EXTENSIVE tempo (low intensity tempo/aerobic work) year round should probably be the main type of running focus in this case. And, let the running in game practice and competitions develop LA tolerance. Adding acceleration and max-v work is extremely hazardous, because it could fry their CNS and leave them flat for the game!
I would NOT encourage doing intensive tempo (only SE in the form of high intensity split runs) for soccer under ANY conditions. ESPECIALLY, in your case. I hope I am getting this across?! As I said in my answer to your first paragraph, I would recommend mostly aerobic work. Use speed development work CAUTIOUSLY and very conservatively…
OK, now were more on the same page. (BTW I apologize about the 10x50 v 4x200 m example; I missed the v which caused some of the misunderstanding).
What type of rest intervals would you use in the speed endurance work?
Sounds good!
The Speed Endurance (actually Special Endurance) run that I recommend for sports like soccer is in the form of split runs. For example, the 10x50m@90-95% w 30-60rec (this is equivalent to a 500m special endurance run) is a more specific way to build LA tolerance for the sport. Of course, this could be a speed endurance workout by increasing recovery to 2-3min instead of 30-60sec, and a speed only workout by extending to full recovery. The recovery is the key to changing the energy system(s) used.
Although in your case, I don’t think these workouts are a priority. This is more for a program that has a significant off-season.
Hope that helped… Best wishes
Scarface:
I’m relatively new at this, but do have a great ‘teacher’ that has increased my knowledge substantially in the last two years. I find that discussing these topics helps me to think about why I do what I do as a coach, and helps increase my knowledge and progress my coaching ability on the way.
Regarding the SE split sessions: do you find that most athletes are able to (a) maintain the intensity (90-95%) throughout the ten sprints without a significant drop off in performance during the final repetitions; and (b) are the athletes able to maintain proper sprint form while working at that intensity level with minimal rest?
Is that 90% effort or of best time?
Yes, your post on aerobic benefits proves you are knowledgable. And you ask very good questions…
Good question!
Make no mistake; this is an extremely difficult workout that requires a good base -preferably in the form of extensive tempo and other conditioning work. That being said, if ten sprints cannot be completed, increase recovery to the 60sec instead of 30sec, and/or split the reps to two sets (2x5x50m@90% w 60sec rec rep, 5min rec set and build on it until 10x50m can be accomplished. Sprint form and intensity must not be allowed to degrade…
90% of PB.
Lactate seems to be recycled in both cases.
Svass, what would you recommend in a training program that would help overcome the insurgence of lactate into the muscles, which is common in high intensity sports?
Lactate accumulation in the muscle during exercise is dependent on more that just the rate of lactate production. I’m busy with writing papers and marking exams right now, so I’ll have to get back to this later. In short, a good high/low intensity split like Charlie recommends will work if applied properly.
To svass, chris30 and scarface, you obviously do not understand periodization, so I am going to explain it to you then you’ll realize how important lactic training is.
Each period in periodization needs the period before it!
so the period would be aerobic for six weeks
The next period would be lactic training for six weeks. The body will learn how to buffer lactic and because you have done an aerobic period the body will be able to recycle the lactic.
The next period is speed endurance and because you legs have done the lactic work they will be tolerant to the lactic, abling you to get more benefit out of your speed endurace period. If you haven’t done the lactic work your speed endurance will suffer and then that will make the next period suffer and so on.
You’ve PM me in attempt to flame me with this weak crap… How old are you anyway? It’s one thing to disagree with a person, but getting personal shows that you don’t have the tools to hold an intelligent, civil conversation! Try acting like an adult for a change! As opposed to a snot nose little punk!
Please save the holier than thou crap ok. I completely know what periodization and the importance of Lactic Acid work are… Furthermore, there are different models of peridization, which depends on the type of program (s-l/l-s) and competition -2 peaks versus 1 etc.