Lactic acid has formed two popular myths when it comes to exercise and running. One of the myths is that lactic acid build up causes the burn felt in your legs during running performance. The second myth is the soreness felt after a hard workout is due to lactic acid build up. Other misperceptions include the idea that lactic acid is a waste product formed in the muscle after intense exercise and that lactic acid is formed in the muscle when oxygen is not present. Finally, that lactic acid causes fatigue during intense exercise/running.
Science based research shows that lactic acid...
1. Doesn't produce burning sensations
2. Doesn't induce soreness
3. Doesn't cause muscle fatigue
4. It is not a form of metabolic garbage that must be eliminated from the muscle
Truths...
1. This is a protective mechanism created by the nervous system in order to stop an individual from damaging their muscle at too much high intensity exercise/running.
2. The soreness experience 24-48 hours post exercise/running is the result of the inflammatory process occurring in the muscle cells (lactic acid is not involved)
3. Lactic acid does not induce fatigue, it is produced in the body all of the time, even when an athlete is at rest. It is a key natural product of the energy producing process of glycolysis.
4. Lactic acid is not a form of metabolic garbage, it can actually be increased significantly whenever a carbohydrate meal is consumed.
**If lactic acid caused muscle soreness and fatigue, runners/exercisers would experience muscle pain and tiredness EVERY TIME they ate their favorite carbohydrate meal!!**
When the body digests carbohydrate, the body can either keep it in the form of glucose or produce lactate. Lactate is used in the body as a quick short cut energy source since it doesn't require an insulin response to be stored and utilized for energy. For example, the heart is a sink of lactate: it picks up lactate right out of the bloodstream and keeps your heart beating.
A key benefit of glucose-lactate conversion is the amount of insulin that pours into the blood from the pancreas after meals. The limiting of insulin production may help to enhance body composition, since one feature of insulin is that it coaxes glucose into adipose cells, where it can be converted to fat.
During exercise, lactate is an irreplaceable source of immediate energy for the muscles and other tissues of the body. Enhancing the ability to use lactate can improve a runner's race times rather dramatically. The muscle in the body can use lactate in two ways...
1. Into glycogen formation or energy storage
2. Into energy creation via pyruvate's entry into the Krebs Cycle
A key goal of training should be to move the running velocity at lactate threshold to progressively faster speeds. This means the muscles are getting better at pulling lactate out of the blood and using it for energy. The runner can process pyruvate at greater rates and has the energy needed to run fast and long during endurance competitions. For many endurance athletes, improving running speed at lactate threshold can be the key to unlocking better performances.
Any athlete or runner that wants to maximize performance, conducting training that increase running velocity at lactate threshold is extremely important! Lactate acid that was once thought to be damaging to the muscle is in fact exactly what is needed to promote the muscles' ability to operate at high levels in a sustained fashion.
How do you increase your velocity at lactate threshold? I will write another article soon that goes further in depth on the actual training component!
Feel free to comment or email with any questions!!
Happy Running Performance Running :)
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