Background: This study investigated the relationship between the lactate minimum (LAC<inf>min</inf>) and the 10- (T10) and 30-min (T30) continuous tests in swimmers.
Methods: Twelve swimmers (78.1±3.1% of the world record) performed the LAC<inf>min</inf> (hyperlactatemia: 2×50 m all-out 8-min apart, incremental part: N.×300 m 30-s apart), T30 and T10 using the front-crawl stroke. Blood samples were collected after each stage of LAC<inf>min</inf> for lactate analysis. Swimmers were oriented to swim as fast and as constant as possible in T10 and T30.
Results: Speeds in T10 (1.28±0.10 m/s) and T30 (1.21±0.09 m/s) were different from LAC<inf>min</inf> (1.24±0.09 m/s). T10 and T30 speeds presented a nearly perfect relationship with LAC<inf>min</inf> and acceptable prediction errors (T10: r=0.938, P<0.001, 0.033 m/s; T30: r=0.927, P<0.001, 0.036 m/s, respectively).
Conclusions: T10 and T30 can be used as indirect tests for evaluating LAC<inf>min</inf> in swimming.