What is the Difference Between Lactate Threshold and OBLA?

The key difference between lactate threshold and OBLA (Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation) lies in the point at which they are measured during exercise.

• Lactate Threshold: This refers to the level of exercise intensity at which lactate accumulation begins in the blood. It is associated with the balance between the rate of lactate appearance and disappearance in the blood. Lactate threshold is useful for determining exercise intensity for training and racing in endurance sports such as long-distance running, cycling, rowing, and cross-country skiing.
• OBLA: This is the point at which lactate begins to accumulate in the blood at an accelerated rate. OBLA is often confused with lactate threshold, but they represent different points during exercise. It is associated with the overproduction of lactate due to increased exercise intensity.

Both lactate threshold and OBLA are determined through incremental exercise tests, where subjects perform exercise at increasing intensities while having blood drawn in droplets from a finger or earlobe. However, they measure lactate accumulation at different points during exercise, with lactate threshold occurring at lower intensities and OBLA at higher intensities.

Comparative Table: Lactate Threshold vs OBLA

Lactate threshold and OBLA (Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation) are both related to lactate accumulation during exercise, but they differ in the specific points at which they are measured. Here is a table comparing the differences between lactate threshold and OBLA:

In summary, lactate threshold is based on the exercise intensity where lactate accumulation starts, while OBLA measures lactate accumulation in the blood after the overproduction of lactate following the lactate threshold.