Topic: Lactic Acid is Actually What Your Muscles Use for Fuel

[klaymen]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/16/health/nutrition/16run.html?ex=1305432000&en=2778e99d7eab85a6&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss



um..................................................whoops

[Gearsighted]

Yeah, I posted a link to the study that this was based on a few weeks ago. Good find though

[Argon]

Up is down! Black is white! Milk isn't that great for you! Lactic acid is good!

EVERYBODY PANIC!!

[Deft]

You still need to find your Lactic Threshold (LT) and should train slightly below that threshold to improve your endurance before you start to get that feeling of "shutting down and locking up" that the body does after intense work at high intervals

[Josh Maciel]

Yeah it's caused by lack of oxygen which is aerobic. Lactic acid is anaerobic. But when you have to use a lot because your not getting enough oxygen then it builds up causing the burn.

[Matthew Lee Willis]

humm, so what causes the soreness in your muscles??? Also, why have I always been taught to take a lot of calcium after a workout because it helps get rid of lactic acid build up in the muscles?

[Argon]

Lactic acid dosn't build up chronically. As far as I know, it's metabolized fairly quickly. As soon as the burning is gone; the acid is gone.

I've been told that the soreness in your muscles after a workout is due to the fact that the blood vessels in your muscles expand greatly after an anaerobic workout to get oxygen and nutrients to these areas quickly (this is also knwon as "getting swoll"). After a quick initial expansion, it takes a long time to contract again, and during that time, blood creeps into your tissue and... other... bad things... happen too. Anyways, the punchline is that if you take a cold shower after a workout, the bloodvessels wil contract much faster and prevent soreness. It works like a charm for me, and I've never had problems with getting a good recovery.