Two swimmers test their blood lactate and they are at the same level. One swimmer holds a 60 sec/100 pace and the other holds 75 sec/100 pace, is it fair to say swimmer one is swimming more efficiently, or are there other factors such as physiology at play? Can the swimmer with higher lactate still actually be swimming more efficiently, yet be generating the higher lactate numbers?
How do you pinpoint where a swimmer's physiology is limiting their performance and not their technique?
I don't see that lactate testing will answer any questions about a swimmers "efficiency"...I know many swimmers/triathletes who are extremally fit and have achieved a high level of lactate "tolerance" but are still extremally inefficient...these are usually the folks who complain that they go the same times for say a 100 "fast" with 10 seconds rest as they do with 3:00 rest. To which I usually reply by asking if they ride their bikes in the same gear at the same speed for an entire ride...
Bottom line is I like to use hard speed work to help point out to these types of swimmers how important it is to work on technique...far to often as the effort increases the "faults" in ones strokes are exposed, getting people to slow down and work on technique is the challenge.
Having said all that...I think all athletes benefit from LT training. Some interesting discussion about it here:
www.beginnertriathlete.com/.../article-detail.asp
I don't see that lactate testing will answer any questions about a swimmers "efficiency"...I know many swimmers/triathletes who are extremally fit and have achieved a high level of lactate "tolerance" but are still extremally inefficient...these are usually the folks who complain that they go the same times for say a 100 "fast" with 10 seconds rest as they do with 3:00 rest. To which I usually reply by asking if they ride their bikes in the same gear at the same speed for an entire ride...
Bottom line is I like to use hard speed work to help point out to these types of swimmers how important it is to work on technique...far to often as the effort increases the "faults" in ones strokes are exposed, getting people to slow down and work on technique is the challenge.
Having said all that...I think all athletes benefit from LT training. Some interesting discussion about it here:
www.beginnertriathlete.com/.../article-detail.asp
