Cinética y perfil del lactato en karatecas universitarios: comparación entre protocolos incremental y mínimo

Introduction. The present study had a twofold purpose: to characterize the physiological lactate response and to compare two protocols for determining the anaerobic threshold in university karate athletes from Barranquilla, Colombia. Objective. To characterize the physiological lactate response and to compare two protocols for determining the anaerobic threshold in university karate athletes from Barranquilla, Colombia. Methods. The sample consisted of thirteen athletes (eight men and five women; age: 21.7 ± 2.3 years; BMI: 22.5 ± 1.8kg/m2, who performed a specific incremental kick test (IT) and a lactate minimum test (LMT) in randomized order. During both protocols, capillary blood lactate concentrations, heart rate, and the number of kicks per minute were monitored. The lactate threshold was identified through the consensus of two expert evaluators. Results. Results showed similar lactate values at the threshold for both tests IT: 4.2 ± 0.9 mmol. L-1; LMT: 4.5 ± 1.0 mmol.L-1; p = 0.31; d = 0.19, as well as a high and consistent heart rate response IT: $176 ± 8; LMT: 178 ± 9; p = 0.27; d = 0.23. However, a significant difference was observed in technical performance: the number of kicks at the threshold was higher in the LMT 32 ± 6 vs. 28 ± 5 kicks per minute; p = 0.02; d = 0.72. Bland–Altman analysis revealed a low mean bias -(−0.3 mmol·L⁻¹) and high inter-rater agreement (ICC = 0.91). Conclusions. It is concluded that while both protocols estimate the lactate threshold comparably, the LMT offers greater technical specificity, positioning it as a valuable tool for training planning in the collegiate setting.