“A machine” “Didn’t even break a sweat” - Liverpool fans blown away as new signing aces dreaded lactate test in pre-season training

Liverpool fans were left impressed on Twitter after new signing Dominik Szoboszlai aced the club's dreaded lactate test during pre-season training yesterday (June 11).

Jurgen Klopp and Co. returned to pre-season training earlier this week ahead of the much anticipated 2023-24 season. The players were subjected to the annual lactate test which has become a tradition at the AXA Training Centre under the German tactician.

Liverpool play an extremely intensive and fast-paced brand of football. It comes as no surprise that the test measures a player's aerobic endurance by running increasing distances at high speeds.

At the end of each run, the players have a blood test taken from their ears to measure their lactic acid level. If the level is considered to be too high, they drop out of the test. The last man standing is branded the winner.

EKF Diagnostics summarized the positive effects of the notorious lactate test:

"[It is used to] learn the highest intensity at which a footballer can train or compete before hitting the wall from high levels of blood lactate. Once you surpass this threshold, lactic acid will start to build up in your muscles faster than your body can remove it, eventually leading to fatigue. Testing and improving lactate threshold within a training program can be used to make stronger and faster athletes.”

James Milner had won the lactate test every year he was at Liverpool, however, with his departure, the stage was set for a new winner to be crowned. The players were split into two groups this pre-season with the two winners being Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah.

Following his win, Szoboszlai was asked what the highlight of his day was, to which he replied "The running, the running."

Liverpool fans were impressed with their new £60 million midfielder. Some reacted on Twitter:

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When Liverpool defender Andy Roberston hilariously recalls the day he threw up during his first lactate test

Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson once recalled his first day at the club where he attempted the lactate test. Unfortunately, he was unable to prevent himself from throwing up.

Robertson joined the Reds from Hull City in the summer of 2017 for just £8 million. He has established himself as one of the most consistent left-backs in the world since then, scoring eight goals and providing 63 assists in 267 appearances. The 29-year-old has also won seven trophies with Liverpool.

However, his fitness levels weren't quite what they are now on his first day of training. He hilariously recalled his blunder on the Peter Crouch podcast (via GiveMeSport):

"We had to do the lactate test that the Germans love, it's basically running to your maximum. I remember running alongside Danny Ings and I was just sick everywhere! Actually physically sick. [With the test] they set up poles around the pitch and you have to make each pole on the whistle but then it gets faster and faster."

He added:

"Luckily the gaffer (Klopp) wasn't there and I thought I'd got away with it and he returned three days later and introduced himself, blah blah blah, and then he called me Mr Sick Boy or something like that. I was gutted!"