Oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis are the two truly major energy metabolism pathways in humans. While maximal oxygen uptake has been used for a century as a whole-body measure of maximal oxidative phosphorylation, there is no universally accepted, comparable measure of maximal glycolysis. In their current paper Henning Wackerhage and colleagues discuss a new definition, the vLacpeak.
Using this defnition, the vLapeak is for glycolysis what the VO2peak is for oxidative phosphorylation, namely a whole-body measure of a peak rate of a major metabolic pathway. A vLapeak test is not just another anaerobic test, such as the Wingate test, as it specifcally measures the maximal rate of glycolysis and not performance variables that are only partially infuenced by a high glycolytic power.
If you like to read more on this topic, check the paper in the Journal of “Sports Medicine”, published in May 2025.
Reference:
Wackerhage H, Kabasakalis A, Seiler S, Heck H.: Is the vLamax for Glycolysis What the VO2max is for Oxidative Phosphorylation? Sports Med. 2025 Jul 17. doi: 10.1007/s40279-025-02259-6. PMID: 40676393 Review.