How Is Lactate Threshold Measured by My Edge?

Lactate threshold is the point where your muscles start to rapidly fatigue. Your device measures your lactate threshold level using heart rate and pace. When exceeding the threshold, fatigue starts to increase at an accelerating rate. Knowing your lactate threshold can help you determine how hard to train or when to push yourself during a race.

List of Cycling Computers That Will Measure Lactate Threshold

• Edge® 520|Edge® 520 Plus 

• Edge® 530 

• Edge® 540 | Edge® 540 Solar

• Edge® 820 

• Edge® 830 

• Edge® 840 | Edge® 840 Solar

• Edge® 1000 

• Edge® 1030 | Edge 1030 Plus 

• Edge® 1040 | Edge® 1040 Solar

• Edge® 1050

How Do I Determine What My Lactate Threshold Is?

NOTE: Not every high intensity activity or guided test will provide an updated lactate threshold estimate.

For Edge Cycling Computers, you can detect a lactate threshold through auto detection. It will require: 

• A power meter. 

• A heart rate monitor.

• An established VO2 max estimate must be set.

An accurate maximum heart rate setting is also required to obtain an accurate lactate threshold estimate. If the maximum heart rate setting is too high, the test will be too difficult to complete. If it is too low, the test will not record the lactate threshold. To accurately determine your maximum heart rate, enable the Auto Detect feature on your device, or input your known maximum heart rate from a previous race or activity where you know that you hit your max. 

For best results, go for several rides after first using the Edge in order for it to accurately learn your overall fitness level. Subsequent lactate threshold results will be more accurate once this is established.

Edge cycling computers do not have a guided test specifically for Lactate Threshold, however it may be detected from an FTP Test. For steps to follow an FTP test, refer to your owner's manual and search for "Conducting an FTP Test".

Auto Detection

Auto detection can be enabled on for a lactate threshold compatible device and will update when you achieve an activity that qualifies. Auto detection works best on rides that you spend some time in each zone as you increase the intensity of the activity. This setting is set in your Heart Rate Training Zones on your Edge. For steps to set your heart rate zones, refer to your owner's manual and search for "Training Zones".

NOTE: The Edge 520 and Edge 820 cycling computers will always have the auto detection enabled. 

Estimating Lactate Threshold: