• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Whey Protein
    • Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

“Talk Test” Put to the Test

Is the age old "talk test" actually a good measure of heart rate and exertion? A new study reveals the answer.

Becca Borawski

Written by Becca Borawski Last updated on September 21, 2011

While there are endless gadgets on the market to measure your heart rate, most of us are familiar with the more folksy method known as the “talk test.”

Simply put, if you are exercising and still able to carry on a conversation you are probably in the lower range of intensity in your exercise. If you are unable to speak, then you are on the upper end of intensity.

While there are endless gadgets on the market to measure your heart rate, most of us are familiar with the more folksy method known as the “talk test.”

Simply put, if you are exercising and still able to carry on a conversation you are probably in the lower range of intensity in your exercise. If you are unable to speak, then you are on the upper end of intensity.

In a recent study, researchers at the University of New Hampshire took a scientific approach to the Talk Test and compared it to both lactate threshold and ventilatory threshold.

Lactate is produced anytime we exercise. Our bodies have a mechanism to keep us in balance by removing lactate from our system. The lactate threshold is the point at which we can no longer effectively metabolize lactate and it starts to collect in our bodies. More intense exercise produces more lactate.

The ventilatory threshold is the point at which you experience a sudden and drastic increase in oxygen uptake. It typically occurs shortly after the lactate threshold has been reached and is another indicator of increased intensity of exercise.

The researchers at University of New Hampshire measured subjects running on a treadmill while tracking their lactate and ventilatory threshold markers as well as having them perform a Talk Test.

The results were that the Talk Test correlated best with the lactate threshold, though this might seem counterintuitive as far as talking and ventilation being related.

Based on these findings the scientists determined the Talk Test is actually an effective measurement for individuals in beginner exercise programs who want to work effectively, but not at an excessive heart rate.

It was also considered to be an easy measure for endurance athletes who want to work for extended periods close to the lactate threshold.

Becca Borawski

About Becca Borawski

Becca found her way to a career in health and fitness through Martial Arts and CrossFit. Originally a music editor for film and television, Becca started studying Martial Arts in 2000. Though she started with traditional Martial Arts it was not long before she discovered Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and her path was forever altered. She began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Muay Thai and started working with professional MMA fighters, building websites, working on fight promotions, and producing videos.

As a competitor in BJJ herself, Becca wanted to get stronger and fitter. In 2006 she discovered CrossFit and became a student at CrossFit Los Angeles. In only a couple of years she became CrossFit Level III Certified, left her career in the film industry, and dedicated herself full time to coaching. She has since been certified through CrossFit in Olympic Lifting, Powerlifting, Nutrition, Endurance and Kids coaching. She also held an NSCA-CSCS from 2006-2008 and is a certified IndoRow instructor. In addition to coaching adults, she founded the CrossFit LA Kids program in 2010 and taught children aged 5-17.

Becca regularly takes on new sports, which have included indoor rowing, fencing, and most recently, cycling, as she believes it makes her both a better athlete and a better coach. In order to reach more people with her coaching, Becca also created ModernAthena.com – a website dedicated to women in pursuit of physical fitness and self-improvement.

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

Hugh Jackman Deadpool 3 Workouts Spring:Winter 2023
Hugh Jackman Returns to Wolverine Condition in Workouts for “Deadpool 3”
Method Man Incline Dumbbell Presses December 2022
Check Out Rapper Method Man Cruising Through 120-Pound Incline Dumbbell Presses for 10 Reps
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Leg Workout
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Crushes 5 “Monster Sets” of a Leg Workout
Michael B. Jordan poster for Creed III
Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors Look Like Shredded Boxing Stars in “Creed III”

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Pavlo Nakonechnyy Withdraws From 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man to Recover from Knee Injury

Hugh Jackman Returns to Wolverine Condition in Workouts for “Deadpool 3”

Nicole Genrich and Josh Patacca Win 2023 Australia’s Strongest Woman and Man

7 Tips to Perfect Your Front Squat Form

Latest Reviews

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Pre-Workouts for Building Muscle, Running, Taste, and More

Best Home Gym Machines

Best Home Gym Machines

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About