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Int J Sports Med
DOI: 10.1055/a-2563-9203
Physiology & Biochemistry

Association of blood lactate accumulation with fat metabolism during exercise: method matters

Isaac Armando Chavez-Guevara 
1   Faculty of Sports, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California – Campus Ensenada, Ensenada, Mexico (Ringgold ID: RIN210325)
,
Carlo Ferri-Marini
2   Department of Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands (Ringgold ID: RIN3647)
,
Ratko Peric
3   Department for Exercise Physiology, Orthopedic Clinic Orthosport, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
,
Brendan Egan 
4   School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland (Ringgold ID: RIN8818)
,
Mariazel Rubio-Valles
5   Facultad de Ciencias de la Cultura Fisica, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico (Ringgold ID: RIN27763)
,
Maria Cristina Duron-Borjas
1   Faculty of Sports, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California – Campus Ensenada, Ensenada, Mexico (Ringgold ID: RIN210325)
,
Arnulfo Ramos
6   Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
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Abstract

This study examined if analytical procedures influence the relationship between lactate metabolism and fat oxidation during exercise in 54 young men (age: 27±7 y; body fat: 23±10%; VO2max: 46.9±10.2 mL·kg−1·min−1). The first lactate threshold was assessed using the log–log transformation of blood lactate and running speed (LT1log–log), an increase of 1 mM above the baseline (LT1Bsln1.0), and a fixed blood lactate concentration of 2 mM (LT1OBLA2). The second lactate threshold was determined using the maximal distance approach (LT2Dmax) and a fixed lactate concentration of 4 mM (LT2OBLA4). The highest (FATmax) and lowest (FATmin) fat oxidation rates were determined using a third-degree polynomial regression (P3), visual inspection, and mathematical modeling (SIN). FATmax and FATmin showed the strongest correlation with LT1log–log (r: 0.65, p<0.01) and LT2OBLA4 (r: 0.81, p<0.01), regardless of fitness. FATmaxP3 and LTOBLA2 showed the best agreement in untrained individuals. Conversely, FATmaxP3 and LT1log–log showed the best agreement in obese men and trained subjects. LT2OBLA4 showed the best agreement with FATmin. When investigating the association between fat oxidation and lactate metabolism during exercise, LT1log–log and LT2OBLA4 should be computed, while mathematical modeling or visual analysis should be applied for FATmax, depending on the fitness level.

Keywords

exercise physiology - metabolism - physical fitness - training and testing


Publication History

Received: 08 November 2024

Accepted after revision: 20 March 2025

Accepted Manuscript online:
20 March 2025

Article published online:
11 April 2025

© 2025. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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