Continuous training increase on the lactate threshold improves soccer players’ performance

Abstract

It has been described that the continuous training at the lactate threshold improves performance leading to a decrease of the lactate concentrations or at the threshold of intensity. Here we measured changes in soccer athletes' performance that were submitted to a continuous training at the lactate threshold speed, in addition to soccer conventional training. Soccer athletes (n=17) aged 18 and 20 years old were randomly divided into two groups. The former received both continuous and conventional trainings (EG, n=10), whereas the latter just conventional training (CG, n=7). The lactate threshold speed increased after the two fi rst training weeks in both groups. In EG the lactate threshold's speed increased during the following four weeks. Our results showed a decrease in the lactate concentration in the EG at the same velocity. These data indicate that the soccer players' performance can be improved by a combination of both training methods.