Maximal lactate accumulation rate ($${\dot{\text{c}}}$$Lamax): Current evidence and future directions for exercise testing and training

Abstract Maximal lactate accumulation rate ( $${\dot{\text{c}}}$$ c ˙ La max ) has recently gained increased attention in exercise science as a parameter characterising the maximum power of glycolytic metabolism. Since a lot of sports put high demands on both oxidative as well as substrate-level phosphorylation, $${\dot{\text{c}}}$$ c ˙ La max may be a promising augmentation to metabolic profiling in athletes. However, scientific examinations still demonstrate inconsistencies in terms of terminology, procedures, calculations and application that highlight the need for an extensive literature review. This review aims to summarise the current evidence of $${\dot{\text{c}}}$$ c ˙ La max and provide recommendations for future research and application in practice. Findings of N = 60 accepted peer-review Journal articles in English language were extracted to highlight the origin, development, terminology, procedures, reliability, specificity, applicability and adaptability of $${\dot{\text{c}}}$$ c ˙ La max . It provides a critical view of this field of research to assist international colleagues who might not yet be familiar with $${\dot{\text{c}}}$$ c ˙ La max . It is evident that $${\dot{\text{c}}}$$ c ˙ La max has spread across the globe and is already applied in various sports like (hand-)cycling, running, swimming, rowing, kayaking and paratriathlon. Sport-specific all-out sprint tests lasting 10–12 s and measurements of post-exercise lactate concentration every minute for 10 min are recommended to determine $${\dot{\text{c}}}$$ c ˙ La max that demonstrates a high reliability and specificity. Whereas $${\dot{\text{c}}}$$ c ˙ La max is associated with sprint performance and strength parameters, its utility to predict/simulate individual performances ≥ 1 min is still inconclusive. Future studies need to validate $${\dot{\text{c}}}$$ c ˙ La max by means of enzyme activity and/or muscle fiber typology, focus on female athletes (currently 25%) and assess its adaptability to certain training regimes.