Lactate Threshold Testing

£295
60-minute session
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Includes a lactate threshold assessment, personalised training zones, and a detailed report detailing training recommendations based upon your test results. 

FAQs

What you’ll find here is everything you need to know about Lactate Threshold Testing at Hooke Fitness—how to prepare, what happens during the test, safety measures, interpreting your results and next-step recommendations. If there are any other questions, just let our team know.

What Is Lactate Threshold Testing?

Lactate Threshold testing pinpoints the exercise intensity—power output and heart-rate—at which lactate starts accumulating faster than your body can clear it. This gives you a precise marker of your sustainable performance limit, allowing you to train smarter, race stronger, and optimise your endurance capacity.

Benefits of Lactate Threshold Testing

- Improves Endurance Efficiency

Train at exactly the right intensity to boost your ability to sustain higher workloads for longer—delaying fatigue and pushing your performance ceiling further.

- Personalised Training Zones

Receive personalised power and heart-rate training zones data, so every workout is optimised for aerobic development, threshold work, or recovery.

What to Expect During the Test

In our performance lab, you’ll perform a step protocol on the stationary bike or treadmill. Each stage increases in intensity while we take small fingertip blood samples to measure lactate concentrations. We identify your threshold at the inflection point where lactate rises sharply — giving you actionable data for programming your training.

Preparing for Your Appointment

- Avoid Food and Drink

Do not eat or drink anything except water for 4 hours before your test.

- No Stimulants

Skip caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants within 4 hours of testing.

- Limit Exercise

Rest fully on the day of your test—no intense workouts or long efforts – as you will be undertaking a maximal output test. 

What Is Lactate Threshold Testing?

Lactate Threshold testing pinpoints the exercise intensity—power output and heart-rate—at which lactate starts accumulating faster than your body can clear it. This gives you a precise marker of your sustainable performance limit, allowing you to train smarter, race stronger, and optimise your endurance capacity.

Benefits of Lactate Threshold Testing

Improves Endurance Efficiency

Train at exactly the right intensity to boost your ability to sustain higher workloads for longer—delaying fatigue and pushing your performance ceiling further.

Personalised Training Zones

Receive personalised power and heart-rate training zones data, so every workout is optimised for aerobic development, threshold work, or recovery.

What to Expect During the Test

In our performance lab, you’ll perform a step protocol on the stationary bike or treadmill. Each stage increases in intensity while we take small fingertip blood samples to measure lactate concentrations. We identify your threshold at the inflection point where lactate rises sharply — giving you actionable data for programming your training.

Preparing for Your Appointment

(01)

Avoid Food and Drink - Do not eat or drink anything except water for 4 hours before your test.

(02)

No Stimulants - Skip caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants within 4 hours of testing.

(03)

Limit Exercise - Rest fully on the day of your test—no intense workouts or long efforts – as you will be undertaking a maximal output test. 

How Lactate Threshold Differs from VO₂ Max

VO₂ Max

Lactate Threshold

What it measures

Your absolute maximal oxygen uptake (top-end aerobic capacity)

The point when lactate begins to accumulate faster than you can clear it (sustainable limit)

Why it matters

Shows your ceiling: the upper limit of your cardio system

Reveals your floor-to-peak performance and where you can hold effort with minimal fatigue

Training insight

Helps structure workouts to push max aerobic output (e.g. high-intensity intervals)

Guides precision endurance work—train just below threshold to extend sustainable cadence/power

Practical benefit

Ideal for athletes chasing peak-gapped performance (triathletes, cyclists)

Perfect for endurance athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to push longer efforts without burnout

Your takeaway

“How hard can I go?”

“How long can I hold this hard?”

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