A Novel Approach to Estimating Maximal Lactate Utilization Speed (Fatmax) Using Lactate Measurements

Abstract

Maximizing fat oxidation during exercise, known as Fatmax, is crucial for endurance athletes and metabolic health. Traditional methods for determining Fatmax involve expensive cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) equipment to measure oxygen consumption (VO₂) and carbon dioxide production (VCO₂). This study introduces a cost-effective method to estimate the speed of maximal lactate utilization (Fatmax) using lactate measurements obtained during incremental exercise tests. By leveraging the relationship between lactate dynamics and fat oxidation, we present a mathematical model and a Python implementation to accurately estimate Fatmax from lactate data alone.