Physiological Drift During Training Vs Incremental Talk Test

INTRODUCTION: The Talk Test (TT) response during incremental exercise has been proposed as a method of identifying physiological training zones. The equivocal (EQ) stage of the TT is proposed as a marker of Ventilatory Threshold (VT) and may be an indicator of Zone 1 training. The TT has also been suggested to overestimate VT. This study extends previous findings (Jeans JSCR 23: 590, 2011) relative to TT drift during steady state training vs incremental TT (2 min stages, 31 word speech anchor). METHODS: Well-trained young adults performed incremental exercise to define the EQ, the last positive (LP) and the last positive minus1 (LP-1) TT stages, then performed randomly ordered LP-1, LP and EQ sessions of running (n = 12), uphill walking (n = 12) or cycling (n = 2) (40 min). RESULTS: During LP-1 and LP stable conditions were observed for %HRmax, RPE (<4/10), blood lactate & TT score, with similar responses between modes. During EQ, all values drifted substantially (%HRmax = 98%, RPE = 7/10, blood lactate = 6 mmol/l-1, TT score = 2.4/3) CONCLUSIONS: Training intensity based on incremental TT of LP-1 and LP provide conditions suitable to identify Zone 1 training intensity, and display minimal drift.