REF-1603 · Baldari et al., 2004 · European Journal of Applied Physiology · Paper · PubMed

After a 6-min run at 90% VO2max, 12 male soccer players removed blood lactate faster during 30 min of running recovery than during passive recovery, faster at their individual ventilatory threshold, or below it by half the gap to the anaerobic threshold, than at the highest of three intensities, and lactate fell no further after 20 min. From the abstract

Main caveat: Written from the abstract; 12 male soccer players.
limited evidenceMeasured on a mixed groupRead from the abstract only

Baldari and colleagues compared lactate removal during active recovery at three running intensities set from each player's individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) and individual ventilatory threshold (IVT).

With ΔT as the difference between the IAT and IVT work rates, the intensities were IVT + 50% of ΔT, IVT, and IVT − 50% of ΔT, all inside the 30-70% of VO2max range earlier reported as best for removing lactate.

Twelve male soccer players ran 6 min on a treadmill at 90% VO2max and then, on separate occasions in random order, recovered for 30 min at one of the three intensities or passively. Lactate was sampled nine times between minute 1 and minute 30. The removal curve depended on the treatment and on time, with an interaction.

All three running intensities, which spanned 39 (7) to 60 (4)% of VO2max, beat passive recovery; IVT and IVT − 50% of ΔT beat IVT + 50% of ΔT and did not differ from each other at any time point. The authors conclude that the IVT and the intensity below it suit lactate removal and that lactate stopped falling after 20 min.

Participants

n = 12 male soccer players, age 22 (1) years. Playing level, VO2max and threshold values are not given in the abstract. MEDLINE also indexes the record under Female, while the abstract says all 12 were male.

Protocol

Thresholds: IAT and IVT work rates per player (methods not described in the abstract); ΔT = IAT − IVT.
Exercise: a 6-min treadmill run at 90% VO2max.
Recovery (random order, separate occasions): 30 min of running at IVT + 50% ΔT, at IVT, or at IVT − 50% ΔT, or passive recovery.
Sampling: blood lactate at nine points from 1 to 30 min (1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30).

Key Results

The lactate removal curve was affected by treatment (P < 0.01) and by time (P < 0.01), with a significant interaction (P < 0.01).
All three running intensities, between 39 (7) and 60 (4)% of VO2max, removed lactate more efficiently than passive recovery.
IVT and IVT − 50% ΔT were more efficient than IVT + 50% ΔT; IVT and IVT − 50% ΔT did not differ at any time point.
No further fall in lactate after 20 min (the abstract does not say whether this held in every condition, passive included).
The abstract gives no lactate concentrations.

Practical Application

To bring blood lactate down after a hard effort, easy running at or a little below the ventilatory threshold beat both passive rest and a harder recovery pace in 12 male soccer players, and the fall was over by 20 min. Twenty minutes is longer than most athletes leave before the main set, and the study did not test whether the lower lactate helped the next effort.
Inference, not tested here: the best recovery intensity sat toward the easy end of the range here (at or below the ventilatory threshold); how this lines up with studies that anchor recovery to a lactate threshold depends on how each threshold was defined.
Work capacity comes back faster than blood lactate (REF-809); after an SFT the base's practice is 3-5 min easy, not a wait for lactate (SYNTH-66).

Limitations

Written from the abstract; 12 male soccer players.
PubMed lists an erratum (Eur J Appl Physiol 2005;94(1-2):220); it was not read, and what it corrects is unknown.
Lactate concentrations and the threshold methods are not given.
Treadmill running only; no performance outcome.
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level

a crossover with fewer than 15 participants (n = 12); lactate removal is the subject, so no marker step (rule 3); no performance outcome