Back in 2021, cycling’s international governing body, the UCI, issued a new set of rules banning the use of devices measuring “any metabolic values such as but not limited to glucose or lactate” in competition. The rules were aimed at the emerging use of continuous glucose monitors in the peloton, but the mention of lactate sparked widespread curiosity. Did the UCI’s pre-emptive ban mean that convenient and non-invasive continuous lactate monitors were just around the corner?
In a word, no.
Lactate is a big deal in endurance sports these days. Once maligned as a muscle-burning byproduct of hard exercise—so-called “lactic acid”—it’s now viewed primarily as a sensitive gauge of how hard you’re pushing yourself. Venture too far beyond your lactate threshold, and the levels of lactate in your blood will start spiking, signaling imminent exhaustion. The rise of the new “Norwegian Method” training approach relies in part on using frequent lactate testing as a way of controlling workout intensity. But current measurement techniques require cumbersome, frequent, and mildly painful…
