Almost all of us at one time or another, experience slight muscle burning or soreness during exercise. Do you know why this is? This is due to the lactate accumulation of acid in our muscle cells. Which is caused due to breakdown of glucose in our body and lack of oxygen.
If you are an athlete, you must know how to eliminate lactic acid. Because, as a player, you always have to stay healthy. I have found some great ways “How to get rid of lactic acid” that I will share with you today. I am sure this remedy of reducing lactic acid buildup will help you.
1. What is Lactic Acid?
Lactic acid or lactic acidosis is known as M acetic acid. The main compound of this acid is lactate. Although lactic and lactate are used interchangeably, they are technically different.
It is produced along with glucose and various other carbohydrates in a byproduct cell and also stimulated in muscle cells and red blood vessels.
Lactic acid is created in the muscles when the body breaks down carbohydrates to compensate for the lack of glucose due to heavy exercise. This process of breaking down carbohydrates is called glycolysis.
This is a stage when ATP energy is generated within the muscle cells without oxygen. The lactate compound of lactic acid creates a source of burn in the muscle cells during exercise. However, this compound also helps us with some situations.
1.1 General Properties of Lactic Acid :
- Lactic acid is similar in phase to ANA substances such as alpha hydroxy acids.
- The formation of milk causes this acid. This acid is also obtained from beer and wine in the same way.
- Now let’s talk about lactate, a compound of lactic acid. This compound is transparent and looks light yellow in color. It has no odor and no toxicity. This compound is soluble in alcohol, glycerin, and water at 20°C.
2. When was Lactic Acid First Discovered?
Lactic acid was first discovered in 1780 under the supervision of a Swedish researcher, Carl Schiehl.
Carl Schiehl was the first to find this compound in the cells of some microorganisms and in the seeds of some individual plants by doing many experiments. Moreover, this compound’s presence was observed in some animals’ cells.
A few years later, by experimenting with lactic acid, another Swedish scientist, Jens Jacob Berzelius, separated another compound, lactates, from lactic acid.
3. How Does Lactic Acid Work?
Lactic acid is mainly produced during glycolysis, the breakdown of glucose. The hydrogen ions of this acid cause a decrease in the pH of the muscle and further increase its acidity. This is why when we exercise a lot, excess energy is generated and we feel burnt out.
Lactose, hydrogen ions, and lactate do not last long in the human body. Again, the energy that is transferred to our body through lactate is useful during re-exercise. The lactic acid produced during the breakdown of glucose also helps clear pyruvate cells.
4. How Does Lactic Acid Build-up?
Lactic acidosis occurs when the production of the acid exceeds lactic acid clearance and produces too much lactate. When we exercise at a high intensity, our body needs more oxygen than the muscles.
This results in lactic acid as well as anaerobic respiration. Also, after the acid build-up, the muscles become more fatigued and cannot contract again. Others may notice a burning sensation in the muscles during exercise.
The increase in lactate production is usually due to oxygenation. A decrease in oxygen supply to the muscles is reflected in oxygen utilization defects. As levels begin to rise, the body also begins to clear lactic acid. But when its growth rate starts to increase, it is not able to keep up.
This is often referred to as the “lactate threshold” for high-intensity aerobic activity. But be aware that strength training can also lead to lactate accumulation,”
Lactic acid starts to build up 24-48 hours after a workout. This has no similarity with muscle pain.
5. How to Prevent Lactic Acid Buildup?
The way to reduce lactic acid production is to increase your physical fitness so that it takes longer for your body to reach that point. Another proven method of preventing lactic acid builds involves active recovery after exercise.
Low exercise intensity, such as yoga, walking, biking, or foam rolling, can help clear lactic acid from the body. One study compared passive recovery to 14 active players.
It has been shown that active recovery results in greater reductions in lactic acid levels. Active recovery skiers can progress faster and complete more runs.
6. How to Get Rid of Lactic Acid?
You can follow these steps how to get rid of lactic acid :
6.1 Method One: By Workout
6.1.1. Water:
How to get rid of lactic acid? well, the answer is to drink a lot of water. First, we need to consume a lot of normal water to reduce the amount of lactic acid in our bodies. We know lactic acid is water soluble, so the more you try to stay hydrated, the better. And your chances of burning out during exercise will also decrease, and the production of lactic acid will increase.
- Remember, you must drink plenty of water before and after exercise intensity when you exercise.
- Drink 8 to 16oz of water before exercise and 8oz after exercise. Remember to drink water every twenty minutes.
6.1.2. Intense Exercise:
Be sure to focus on breathing while exercising. You will take care that does not lack oxygen in any way. Due to the lack of oxygen, you may feel the burning sensation caused by the lactic acid in your body.
- A deep breath will help you a lot, though. Remember not to try to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Never breathe through your mouth during the exercise.
- If breathing is normal, the oxygen supply to your body will be correct; if the oxygen supply is correct, the production of lactic acid will stop.
- Moreover, an intense breath does not allow you to feel pain.
6.1.3. Heart Rate:
Be sure to check if your heart rate is correct. Remember to never exceed your heart rate for more than 1-2 minutes at a time, without going out of your cardio range.
- Take care that all your workouts should be settled as your anaerobic threshold.
6.1.4. Fitness:
Always try to stay physically fit, the less glucose your body uses, the less lactic acid will be produced. So take rest after some time while exercising.
- Avoid exercising for too long at a time. Try to exercise for short periods at first and rest now and then. Gradually increase the amount, and your lactic acid production rate will decrease significantly.
- Your health comes first, so a little less exercise without straining your body won’t hurt. Take two days of rest without exercise every day of the week.
6.1.5. Weight Lifting:
Be careful when lifting heavy weights, as our body consumes the most oxygen while lifting. Therefore, the tendency to produce lactic acid also increases.
6.1.6. Resting:
30 minutes to 1 hour after working out, lactic acid spreads in our body. So if you stretch after a workout, this acid release rate is reduced, and you don’t have to experience burning or sore muscles.
6.1.7. Change Exercise Routine:
You should reduce the intensity if you feel a burn from lactic acid during your workout. This is our body’s defence mechanism, our body tries to resist overexertion. However, pain should not be felt during the workout.
- For this reason, you should reduce extra aerobic activities like running, walking, biking, climbing stairs etc. to a large extent. If the number of weights you are lifting is causing you these problems, you need to reduce the number of them as well.
- In such a situation, immediately try to hold a large amount of breath. So that your body can get more oxygen and release lactic acid from the muscles.
6.2 Method Two: By Food
- Magnesium helps the body supply energy to the muscles during exercise. As a result, the formation of lactic acid is limited. So you can increase the intake of magnesium through food. The mineral magnesium is very good for energy production in the body. Various magnesium-rich foods are Swiss chard, spinach, collard beans, turnip greens, green peas, lima beans, pumpkin, sesame seeds, and tofu, especially nigari tofu.
- Fatty acids are very effective in reducing the amount of lactic acid in your body. You can take fatty acids from salmon, tuna and mackerel, walnuts, flaxseeds, sunflower, soybean, corn, etc. Fatty acids are effective in reducing inflammation. Which makes your muscle soreness disappear after a very hard workout.
- You can consume foods rich in vitamin B such as beans, vegetables, fish, beef, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Vitamin B helps reduce muscle fuel by reducing excess lactic acid.
7. What is the Normal Level of Lactic Acid in a Human’s Body?
The quality of carbohydrate metabolism and the level of tissue saturation oxygen determine the concentration of lactic acid in the body. In the body of a completely healthy person, blood lactate ranges from about 0.6 to 1.3 mmol/liter.
Interestingly, higher amounts trigger the onset of most diseases, including infectiousness. An increase of 2-3 times occurs in a severe illness.
8. What Diseases are Build up of Lactic Acid increases?
The presence of lactic acid in a person’s body usually indicates a lack of oxygen. In addition, the increase in the amount of lactic acid in the body of many people who have been diagnosed with anemia. Again, the amount of lactate indicates the possibility of a malignant tumor.
8.1 Symptoms of Lactic Acidosis:
If this small amount of lactic acid is observed due to exercise, it is not a cause for concern but may later become lactic acidosis. So you must know the symptoms of the condition.
Let’s see what the symptoms of severe muscle soreness or muscle fatigue are-
- Reluctance to eat
- Increased heart rate
- Feeling disorientated
- Yellowing of the eyes
- Diarrhea, and nausea in many cases
- Increased headache
9. What is the Threshold?
The point at which the amount of lactate in our body starts to increase, and our body cannot reduce the increasing rate is called the lactate threshold. You must know the threshold very well to know how to get rid of lactic acid.
The phase can be used as a marker of the point at which hydrogen ions rapidly accumulate and cause our muscle cells to feel a burning acidic sensation. Until a certain exercise intensity is reached, steady breathing can be continued during the workout, which provides sufficient oxygen to the muscles.
The minimal reason for the reliance on anaerobic glycolysis for energy production appears to be that there is sufficient oxygen for the muscles to generate energy from the metabolic pathway.
Glycolysis still occurs to some extent, but lactate can be shuttled from the muscles to a point in our body where it can be converted to glucose. The latter keeps blood lactate levels relatively stable.
10. FAQ:
1 How Long Does it Take Lactic Acid to Go Away?
Excessive exercise produces a type of energy in our body’s muscle cells, which creates the presence of lactic acid. Due to this, we can experience muscle soreness. Which is usually removed after 1 hour. But it moves best when our muscles have enough oxygen supply to our body.
2. What Breaks Down Lactic Acid in The Body?
When the rate of lactic acid in our body increases to an extent, it begins to clot within the blood cells. And that can push us into a very dangerous situation. Then, through the liver and kidneys, our body filters the accumulated lactic acid from the blood and breaks it into glucose. Also known as blood sugar.
3. What are the 3 Symptoms of Lactic Acid Buildup?
An excess of lactic acid is called lactic acidosis. We can understand if we have acidosis by looking at many symptoms. Among those symptoms, the three main symptoms are fatigue, physical weakness, and muscle cramps.
4. What are Examples of Highly Intense Exercise?
High-intensity exercise increases the amount of lactic acid in our muscles. However, we can reduce this acid build-up by resting or taking some time off. Some examples of high-intensity exercises are sprinting, powerlifting, and agility training.
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