Some frequently asked questions related to this product. If you cannot see the answer you need here please contact us.

Lactate testing is a way to assess an athlete’s metabolic profile. It informs us on their strength and weaknesses and helps us orient their training to improve their conditioning.

In a sports context, lactate is measured inside the blood. The sample is usually taken at the earlobe or at the finger using a lancet, a lactate analyzer, and a disposable lactate strip.

Lactate test results help coaches and athletes individualize training intensities, orient training plan decisions, and track the athlete’s metabolic profile and progress over time.

Normal lactate levels at rest are usually between 0.5 and 2.5 mmol/L. Lactate levels during intense exercise can increase up to over 20 mmol/L for highly trained athletes such as professional track cyclists.

A lactate test allows an athlete to determine their unique and individual metabolic profile, individualize their training intensities, track their progress over time as well as determine training priorities.

We measure blood lactate in sports to identify the body’s response to different intensities, effort durations and training protocols.

It is easier to pause your effort to sample lactate. Before taking your measurement, you must clean the sampling area, prick the skin to get a droplet of blood, clean off the first drop, and sample the second drop with your analyzer and lactate strip.

Short and intense sports such as rowing to track cycling rely more on this energetic pathway than longer events like marathon running or ultra cycling.

Blood lactate is a fuel. By improving your ability to transport and utilize lactate, your can improve your endurance performance and your recovery speed.

Once the blood sample has been inserted, results are reported within 10 seconds.

Just 0.5 μl is required from a sample taken from a finger.

The VivaChek Lactate System operates on the basis of enzymatic detection. This means that the device reads the electrical signal created by the reaction of the sample with the biochemical reagent on the inserted strip. This signal corresponds directly to the lactate concentration of the sample.

The VivaChek Lactate Strips are designed specifically for human whole blood. After sampling whole blood changes its characteristics within seconds, so immediate sampling with fresh blood is highly recommended. Remains of disinfectant liquids, blood circulation-stimulating crèmes, dried blood and sweat must be always removed with clean water from the sampling area before taking the sample. Sample quality plays a very important role in the accuracy of the result. To minimise external influences we recommend that the same sampling area is used throughout. Different parts of the body provide different results because of differences in blood circulation.

Avoid storing the strips in direct sunlight or at high temperatures for long periods. For long term storage the strips should be kept in the closed vial (2°C to 30°C). It is recommended to only take the required number of strips from the vial for immediate use. After first opening the vial of strips, the storage stability is four months or until expiry date if it is sooner.

Every time you opening a new box of test strips, it is necessary to replace the used code strip with the new code strip from the test strip box. Take the code strip out of the test strip box compare the code number on the code strip with the code number printed on the test strip canister label. Turn the meter on by inserting a code strip. The code number will appear on the initial screen.