Reliability and Validity of the Lactate Pro 2 Analyzer

• Published in: Measurement in physical education and exercise science Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 202 - 211
• Main Authors: Crotty, Nora May, Boland, Marie, Mahony, Nick, Donne, Bernard, Fleming, Neil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Routledge 03.07.2021; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Bland-Altman limits of agreement; College Students; Dmax; Exercise; Foreign Countries; Heart rate; lactate threshold; Males; Measurement Equipment; Metabolism; Physiology; Portable lactate analyzers; Reliability; Student Athletes; Validity; YSI 1500 Sport; Ireland (Dublin)
• ISSN: 1091-367X; 1532-7841; 1532-7841
• DOI: 10.1080/1091367X.2020.1865966

This study evaluated the reliability of the portable Lactate Pro 2 analyzer (LP2), and its validity compared to a laboratory-based analyzer, YSI 1500 Sport (YSI). Blood samples (n = 258) were collected during 44 graded incremental rowing tests, with data from 17 tests used to quantify load, heart rate, and oxygen consumption at lactate threshold. Inter-LP2 reliability was high with coefficient of variation = 3.3%; Bland Altman 95% limits of agreement varied from ± 0.3 mmol.L −1 for blood lactate (BLa) ≤4.0 mmol.L −1 to −1.6 to +1.4 mmol.L −1 for BLa >8.0 mmol.L −1 , with minimal systematic bias. Despite LP2 measurements being ~1.42 times higher than YSI measurements, no significant differences (P > .05) were detected when quantifying load, heart rate, or oxygen consumption data at lactate threshold. The results support using different LP2 devices interchangeably, especially when BLa ≤ 8 mmol.L −1 , and using the LP2 to identify training intensities at lactate threshold.