Higher Step Height Triggers Greater Blood Lactate Concentrations

High blood lactate levels are linked to high-intensity exercise. They reflect the types of motor units recruited (i.e., slow-twitch versus fast-twitch) and blood lactate clearance capacity. A study by Brian Nguyen and Trevor Gillum found that performing a one-minute step test on a 40-centimeter high step resulted in greater blood lactate concentration than using a 20-centimeter step. The higher step required greater power and the recruitment of more powerful motor units, which resulted in greater blood lactate concentrations. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 29: 1578-1583, 2015)