What is the most important distinction in training the gifted fast-twitch athlete, and the “average joe” workhorse for speed and power performance? One answer is something we don’t often consider.
Lactate.
Many coaches understand the importance of specific training, but an important concept that often gets passed to the wayside is the importance of the anabolic effects of lactate, and the individual response of athletes to this important training component. (For those of you unfamiliar, lactate is the biochemical compound associated with muscular endurance efforts, or maximal short efforts with limited recovery, although remember that all energy systems get turned on at the commencement of any exercise)
I recently came across a great powerpoint presentation by Andy Eggerth of Kennesaw State University Track and Field, in which he discussed many great ideas on training, adaptation, and performance, including some great ideas of the role of lactate in power training. After checking through it, I decided to email Andy with a few questions on lactate and the training response.
I originally didn’t have the intent of turning this exchange into an article, but Andy’s answers were very good, and I knew that the readers of Just Fly Sports could really benefit from what he had to say. With that said, here was our email exchange, which he agreed to me sharing here for you all.
Just Fly Sports: I am very interested in the anabolic potential of lactate. Is this something you try to elicit more on the track (such as in the scope of acceleration development), or in the weightroom?
Andy Eggerth: Different kids respond differently. Many kids that aren’t “wired” with a tremendous nervous system seem to respond better to lactate stimulus as a training stimulus (one’s developmental kids). Depending on their event area and how they respond will determine deep you go in the pool.
These are the ones you see their coaches doing a bunch of tempo running and they respond well even though they may not have enough speed/power training. I look at lactate response in all areas of training. With thowers/jumpers/60-100m runners they shouldn’t (generally) do a lot of (tempo) running because of the negative effects, but they can be stimulated with circuits, throws, jumps, lifting, etc.
I don’t do a lot of running with my 200m-400m people either, but they could be stimulated a little more through running workouts (in addition to the other avenues). It depends how hard you want to hit them.
Just Fly Sports: Do you ever find jumpers (as opposed to a 200-400) that might need more longer/lactate work, or that get fried with too much short explosive work, speaking only from a perspective of max output?
Andy Eggerth: I know that you do not need the endurance associated with longer/lactate work for jumpers. However, I do find that some athletes (jumpers included) are blessed with a great endocrine system where they are respond well to doing more lactate work. Anecdotally, when I started running 4×4’s my pole vault improved by a foot and I felt more powerful down the runway.
I believe the anabolic side of lactate can help bridge the gap between weight room strength and power application on the track…no research to support this, but that’s my belief. We’re often boosting testosterone levels in the weight room and then with the lactate on the track bumping growth hormone levels, you’re getting a nice anabolic cocktail legally, safely, and ethically. I haven’t run any tests on my athletes…it’s just from observance.
You can certainly fry the CNS, and neurotransmitters can get out of whack too. This is where the recovery light lactate work is key to maintain balance. The hard thing is programming. If you’re working with a handful of pro athletes you can go completely individual, but working with 80 athletes you need to have a system and go more volume OR more intensity. If only a handful of athletes you can just go to whatever their strength is.
Just Fly Sports: The potential of 20 mmol/liter for acceleration development as your presentation eludes to seems really high…. what volumes and rest would elicit this in the scope of typical training?
Andy Eggerth: 20mmol for acceleration work is really high; you’d probably only see those types of numbers in world class sprinters/jumpers/throwers that are loaded with fast twitch fibers (which more readily produce lactate), unless you turn it into glycolytic short speed endurance (eg. 3-4 x 3-4 x 30-60m, R-30”-60” / 3’-5’); that could hit anyone pretty thoroughly.
Just Fly Sports: You mentioned different athletes respond differently to lactate based training. Are there any basic primers on types of athletes that might do well with or without this type of work?
Andy Eggerth: I’m a believer in the shot gun approach; use a wide array to cover all your bases…what they need will flourish and what they don’t will be sloughed. You’ll then see the areas that kids are blessed with or struggle with, and then you can shift training more that direction.
The endocrine system is key for everyone though (both for training and recovering)…the question is how hard you hit them with training, and when. This is where it’s very individual.
I have a decathlete that needs to keep some intensive tempo running in there at peaking time, where generally you withdraw that as you unload and it’s just high speed, high rest, fast stuff. I’d describe him as more of your work horse that isn’t as talented (although he is an All-American).
I then have another multi-event athlete who can’t handle more than about 3 runs in a session or he blows up so if I need a little work capacity for him I have to get it through general strength circuits. I’d describe him as being more ‘wired’; your ¼ mile dragster rather than your Indy 500 car.
My decathlete, the year I felt I pulled it back too much, he looked flat at NCAA’s and especially at the 1st round where he ran the 400 hurdles. I definitely needed it for that, but even in some of the jumps he looked like he had less pop. The quality of ground contacts was off. That being said, he did PR in the 100m, but it also had a nice tail wind.
Just Fly Sports: I’m always curious on this topic, because myself, I was a 7′ high jumper, but not neurally gifted; slow wiring, and only ran 4.12 in the 30m FAT in college, I seemed to jump my highest when extensive/intensive tempo was in the training program somewhere, once, or maybe 2x a week, or I was playing pickup basketball games. The highest I jumped in high school, where I touched a few inches over the top of the square on the backboard… 11″6-11’7″, was after a few weeks of not lifting, and also the coach running us hard at the end of basketball practice, racing each other with 20-40″ rests, similar to that glycolytic short speed you were talking about that can elicit that high blood lactate concentration.
(eg. 3-4 x 3-4 x 30-60m, R-30”-60” / 3’-5’)
Andy Eggerth: Your experience makes perfect sense to me. I’ve seen it both ways. Some respond like you, and I’ve also had a high jumper where we tried to use the shot gun approach, but he tanked with any sort of volume…he did best by just jumping and resting.
Just Fly Sports: What does a “lactate-based cooldown” consist of?
Andy Eggerth: This varies too. When they’re not fit at the beginning of the year, most cool-downs with movement are probably producing some lactate. When they are more fit you need to work the cool-down a little harder to get a slight ‘burn’ going.
I have some routines that I do barefoot in the sand, which after a tough session definitely gets some lactate flowing. (Internal/external hip rotations and toe pulls with intermittent jogging, and various walks (supination, pronation, etc) with intermittent jogging).
I have another cool down that starts with 4 x alternating 20m lunge walks coming back with backward runs, a few other movements and then stretching. Another one has low intensity extended (50m) ‘sprint drills’ (eg. side-shuffle, skipping), so we’re getting some range of motion, blood flow, but because of the duration, some of those small muscles will start burning a little when they’re fatigued from the workout.
You’re surely already getting lactate stimulus in your workouts and cool downs, sometimes it’s more a matter of recognizing it and controlling it…do you need a little more or a little less. Maybe a little more is needed in some areas (cool down) while a little less is needed in other areas (workout). Maybe it’s how it’s structured…if I do a workout that’s jacking up lactate levels, I don’t try to hit them with more lactate in the cool down, but it’s a much easier cool down. Whereas if we had a high neural day with long recoveries, then I’ll program in a cool down that’s going to stimulate more lactate.
About Andy
During his first five years at Kennesaw State, Eggerth has had tremendous success with both the cross country and track and field programs. He has coached 15 All-Americans since coming to KSU, and his teams have won eight Atlantic Sun Conference Track and Field Championships and one Cross Country title in 2010.
Eggerth is an instructor for the USTFCCCA Coaches Academy and has written the physiology curriculum. He has “Elite Coach” certification from the IAAF in sprints and hurdles, USATF level 3 certification in the Jumps, USTFCCCA certification in the throws, and has been to USATF level 2 certification schools in distance events, combined events, jumps, and throws.
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