Lactate removal during active recovery related to the individual anaerobic and ventilatory thresholds in soccer players

The aim of this study was to compare the lactate (La) removal during active recovery at three different work rates below the individual anaerobic threshold (IAT). Recently, it has been recommended that exercise intensity should be determined in relation to the IAT instead of the percentage of maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O_2max), especially for training and research purposes. Therefore, we defined the recovery work rates by calculating 50% of the threshold difference (ΔT) between the IAT and the individual ventilatory threshold (IVT) work rates, then choosing the IVT_+50%ΔT, the IVT and the IVT_−50%ΔT. All these work rates fell within the range (30–70% V̇O_2max) previously reported for optimal La removal. After a 6-min treadmill run at 90% V̇O_2max, soccer players [n=12 male, age 22 (1) years] performed, in a random order, four 30-min recovery treatments: (1) run at IVT_+50%ΔT, (2) at IVT, (3) at IVT_−50%ΔT, (4) passive recovery. La was obtained at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 20, 25 and 30 min of recovery. The La removal curve was significantly affected by treatments (P<0.01) and recovery timing (P<0.01), with a significant interaction between them (P<0.01). Although they were more efficient than passive recovery, the studied work rates [between 39 (7) and 60 (4)% V̇O_2max) produced different lactate removal curves. IVT and IVT_−50%ΔT were significantly more efficient than IVT_+50%ΔT, while no difference was found between IVT and IVT_−50%ΔT for any time point. In conclusion, both IVT_−50%ΔT and IVT were efficient individual work rates for La removal, and no further La decrease occurred after 20 min.