Lactic Acid Buildup

Written by Shraddha Tipparaju

Anyone who has ever been into fitness or is an athlete has probably heard the term lactic acid before. But what is it and why does it even matter?  

Lactic Acid is made when glucose is converted into energy, and this usually occurs during high-intensity exercises like running, heavy lifting, and biking. Both muscles and red blood cells produce it as a sort of fuel for your body. It is a product of glycolysis – which is a metabolic process that happens when your body is producing energy and, lactic acid is used to describe the reaction between lactate and hydrogen ions during glycolysis.  

While lactic acid might sound harmless it can seriously hurt our bodies when it builds up and is produced in excess. When you're exercising super hard your body needs extra oxygen but when the exercise becomes too vigorous your body can't take in enough oxygen to support the production of lactic acid. 

 So essentially, your body creates all this lactic acid but there isn't enough oxygen to complete the reaction so when it's released into the bloodstream too fast, it builds up leading to an array of health complications.  

The point where your body can't breathe enough oxygen to support the production of lactic acid is called your 'lactate threshold' and athletes are often tested to find out theirs.  

Some of the issues that lactic acid buildup can contribute to are lung circulatory and blood disorders, cancer, seizures, liver failure, vitamin B deficiency, and sepsis.  When your lactic acid builds up it causes lactic acidosis which can lead to all the conditions mentioned above. Some symptoms of lactic acidosis are abdominal pain, muscle weakness, nausea, and vomiting. You can learn if you have lactic acidosis by taking a blood test.  

Ways that you can prevent lactic acidosis are by taking good care of your muscles. Practicing things like starting your workouts with a bit of cardio and thorough stretching, breathing plentily during your exercise, resting, and gradually increasing the intensity of your exercises so that your lactate threshold grows along with the rigor of your exercise.  

Next time you're working out and you feel that sudden spike in your energy levels you can thank lactic acid for that.  

References

https://blog.nasm.org/lactic-acid-buildup-in-muscles 

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/exercise-and-lactic-acidosis 

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24521-lactic-acid 

Written by Shraddha Tipparaju from MEDILOQUY