Lactic acid in muscles – what is it? How to get rid of it?

The relationship between lactic acid and muscle fatigue is not as clear-cut as it is commonly believed. On the one hand, the characteristic burning sensation in the muscles 2-3 days after training is not associated with the accumulation of lactic acid – it is usually excreted from the body in a few hours.

On the other hand, lactic acid can still cause muscle pain directly during exercise – especially in novice athletes and women. However, its role is not always negative – in particular, lactate increases the level of growth hormone.

What is lactic acid?

Lactic acid is a breakdown product of glucose and one of the typical biochemical reactions in the body. The reason why it is formed in the muscles is an insufficient amount of energy – about 15-20% of the total amount of lactic acid is converted into glycogen.

Note that it is impossible to completely remove lactic acid – the body produces it during any physical exertion. Problems in the form of pain occur only when the level of stress becomes excessively high – in this case, the body does not have time to process the by-products of metabolism.

Lactic acid got its name due to the fact that it was first isolated from sour milk – it is formed during the fermentation of sugars. From a chemical point of view, it is a carboxylic acid with three carbons, and its salts and esters are called lactate.

The Role of lactic acid in the human body

The main types of energy for muscles are glucose and glycogen – products of carbohydrate processing. Glycogen is stored in muscle tissue, while glucose circulates freely in the blood. In order to use glucose, the hormone insulin is needed – it is he who allows it to penetrate into the cells.

Since the lactic acid molecule is half the size of the glucose molecule, it is able to penetrate the cells without the help of insulin – which makes it a source of the fastest energy. This is especially important in the case of high-intensity loads when other energy reserves are running low.

Why does it cause muscle pain?

The more intensively an athlete trains, the more his body needs readily available energy – and the more actively the body produces lactic acid during the processing of carbohydrates. However, excessive accumulation can cause a characteristic burning sensation and mild muscle pain, interfering with exercise.

About 90% of lactic acid is utilized within an hour after the end of the workout – that is, it is excreted from the body and cannot be the cause of pain the next day. Despite this, lactic acid lowers the pH level in the muscles – which affects their biochemistry.

We also note that the higher the load and the lower the level of physical fitness of a person, the more lactic acid is produced – but the reason lies not in genetic differences, but in the body’s ability to accumulate (and use) a sufficient amount of glycogen.

Is the pain related to gains?

Some athletes believe that lactic acid helps stimulate testosterone production – and use a special training strategy to increase it. First of all, we are talking about training for pumping and performing exercises according to the pyramid scheme or to failure.

This is partly true. High levels of lactic acid and low pH do increase growth hormone production, but not in the amount that will fundamentally change the beginner’s metabolism. In other words, this technique is suitable only for professionals.

How to get rid of lactic acid?

Once again, we note that lactic acid is a typical substance for the body. In other words, it cannot be completely removed – it is always present in the muscles during exercise. The feeling of pain and stiffness is not caused by lactate itself but by a reaction to overly intense training.

Glycogen stores in the muscles also play a separate role – a lack of energy increases fatigue and provokes the production of lactic acid. If discomfort occurs, it is recommended to stop training and give the body 30-40 seconds to recover – this will reduce pain.

How to reduce the formation of lactic acid:

• Pause for 30 – 40 seconds
• Reduce the intensity of the exercise
• Spend the first 10 – 15 minutes warming up
• At the end of the workout use the MFR roller

How to reduce the burning sensation in the muscles?

If a burning sensation in the muscles appears after performing 5-7 repetitions of the exercise, then we are talking about increased production of lactic acid combined with a lack of energy. Most often, this indicates a low amount of carbohydrates in the diet – in fact, the body does not have glycogen and glucose reserves.

Research also suggests that lactic acid production and disposal mechanisms are different between professional athletes and beginners. In fact, the greater the total training experience, the faster the human body removes lactic acid.

Increased fatigue and burning in the muscles are typical problems for novice athletes (and especially women). Although the pain can indeed be caused by the production of lactic acid, the cause most often lies in the lack of carbohydrates in the diet and an excessively high level of exercise.