How to quickly remove lactic acid from the muscles. Lactic acid in the muscles. Where does it come from and how to get it out

Lactic acid in the human body is the cause of pain and burning in the muscles at the end of the workout.

Both advanced athletes and inexperienced beginners know that too hard training will respond with severe muscle pain the very next day. Lactic acid in the human body is formed under the influence of intense physical activity. This is because lactic acid is inherently a product of the breakdown of the main source of muscle energy - glucose.

What is the risk of an excess of lactic acid?

The appearance of lactic acid leads to very unpleasant consequences, pain and burning in the muscles, and often discourages any desire to continue training. In practice, it looks like this:

  • Severe pain in different muscle groups. In this case, it is precisely those muscles that suffer the maximum load that suffer;
  • General weakness and weakness;
  • An increase in body temperature is both insignificant and quite significant, requiring the use of antipyretic drugs.

This condition will last from three to four hours to several days. Lactic acid is the culprit of exactly the pain that you experience immediately after exercise. Delayed muscle pain (1-2 days after exercise) has a completely different nature. You can read it in our article about.

The unpleasant sensations caused by the formation of lactic acid depend on the zeal with which you were engaged. With moderate and properly selected loads, the amount of lactic acid produced in the human body is not very large, and it is quickly washed out by the bloodstream. And therefore unpleasant sensations pass quickly and imperceptibly.

If the load during the strength training is extremely high, the pain will be stronger and longer. In addition, after intense tension, the muscle is in good shape, which complicates blood circulation. Therefore, immediately after weight training it is recommended to do a complex stretch.

Krepatura and further sports

Can I do it if my muscles hurt? The answer is yes, if the pain is not severe.

As a rule, the majority of those involved in the causes of muscle pain themselves are less interested. Basically, everyone asks if it’s possible to deal with muscle soreness. The answer to this question interests all sports enthusiasts, without exception.

Muscle pain (the term “krepatura” is sometimes used) is proof that you did not have time to recover from a previous load. If your every move is accompanied by oohs and aahs, forget about sports for a few days. Take a break and let the body recover.

Can I do it if my muscles do not hurt too much? Yes, of course. If you do not hurt to perform the exercises, but are just slightly unpleasant, light workouts are not only allowed, but also very useful. Perform a couple of exercises (two approaches) for each muscle group - this will be enough.

How to remove lactic acid and get rid of pain?

Of course, we are not able to stop the production of lactic acid. But to contribute to its removal - very much! So, how to reduce muscle pain after training?

Hike to the bathhouse or sauna

This method of dealing with excess lactic acid is not in vain considered the best. High temperatures in a bath or sauna increase blood flow and dilate blood vessels, as well as muscle fibers. As a result, lactic acid is excreted twice as fast. Therefore, if you feel that you are overworking, go after a workout to the sauna. Moreover, in many fitness clubs there is a sauna.

However, do not get too carried away. Uncontrolled thermal procedures will lead to the opposite effect and will certainly affect other organs and systems. The optimal scheme for visiting the sauna looks like this:

  • first run - 10 minutes, followed by a five-minute break;
  • second run - 20 minutes and a three-minute break;
  • third run - 30 minutes.

The time spent in the steam room for one day should not exceed 60 minutes. At the end of the procedure, forget to take a cool shower.
  Important! Before you visit a sauna or bath, evaluate your own health. Contraindications include diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. It is better to play it safe and consult your doctor. Even if you have no obvious contraindications, but you feel discomfort - leave the sauna, there are other methods for you.

Hot bath

You can reduce muscle pain after a workout by taking a hot bath or visiting the sauna.

There is no way to visit the bath? Or maybe you play sports at home? No problem! A hot bath acts no worse and also speeds up the process of removing lactic acid.

  • Fill the bathtub with very hot water (as long as you can stand) and immerse in it for at least ten minutes. Make sure that the fluid does not cover the skin in the area of \u200b\u200bthe heart.
  • Pour yourself with cool water and leave the bathroom for about five minutes.
  • Add hot water and repeat the procedure again.
  • You will need at least three cycles.
  • The last step - walk through the body with a bath towel (until the skin reddened).

You can spend as many as three baths during the day, but only if you do not have contraindications for this procedure - pregnancy, menstruation and high blood pressure.

Drinking plenty of fluids

Is there an answer to the question of how to reduce muscle pain after training without hot water procedures? Everything is very simple - drink as much liquid as possible (at least 3 liters). Especially in the first day after training. For this purpose, green tea is an ideal natural antioxidant. For those who suffer from hypertension, we recommend switching to non-carbonated mineral water or ordinary water, because green tea helps increase blood pressure.

Liquid helps to remove decay products from the body and helps to accelerate metabolic processes.

How to avoid muscle pain after training?

Any problem is easier to prevent than to resolve. For sports activities to bring maximum pleasure and minimum discomfort, follow a few simple rules.

Rule 1

Correctly determine the load. Do not rush into sports like a whirlpool with your head, especially if you live in the city and sit out most of the day (for example, in the office at the computer). City dwellers move very little, and therefore any sharp loads will lead to a number of problems.

Rule 2

Sport should be metered and systematic. Increase the intensity of classes gradually, preparing yourself for this with each next workout.

Rule 3

You still managed to overtraining? Take the time to do some stretching exercises and relax tense muscles. And, of course, healthy sleep, good rest and products containing antioxidants will speed up the recovery process.

Take a lesson from this situation and do not allow it anymore. Good luck in the sports field!

Let's find out what lactic acid is and why it is formed in the muscles. We will study the truth and myths about the means of getting rid of this product of physiological cellular respiration, necessary for the immediate production of energy.

What is lactic acid?

Lactic acid  Is a metabolic product, the formation of which is associated with the work of muscles in the absence of oxygen (anaerobiosis).

This acid is also called "carboxylic", i.e. a compound that contains a “carboxyl group”, that is, –COOH. This compound is important because it is the “final acceptor” in the electron transport chain.

Cellular respiration for energy

To breathe energy, the cell "breathes"  and such breathing is aimed at the formation of energy molecules (ATP or adenosine triphosphate), by which the cell can perform all processes that require energy.

Differences between aerobic and anaerobic cell respiration

Our cells use two types of respiration: aerobic and anaerobic.

  • Aerobic breathing process  occurs using oxygen. As a result of this process, carbon dioxide and water (CO 2 and H 2 O) are formed. Oxygen in this case is the "final acceptor" of electrons.
  • Anaerobic respiration  occurs without oxygen and leads to the formation of lactic acid.

There are various types of anaerobic respiration in nature, but we humans use “anaerobic glycolysis” or "Lactic acid fermentation". This type of anaerobic respiration allows you to get energy from glucosebut leads to lactic acid formationwhich is used to receive electronic waste to avoid problems.

As we see these types of respiration form various metabolites, but this is not the only difference, their effectiveness is also different: in the case of lactic acid fermentation (anaerobic), 2 ATP molecules are formed, and aerobic gives 38! This is the main reason why we cannot remain without oxygen for a long time.

Lactic acid even at rest

Why so cells perform anaerobic processes even in the presence of oxygen?

The fact is that this type of breathing, producing ATP, instantly satisfying energy needswhile aerobic processes take time.

When we load the muscles in anaerobic respiration seeks to compensate for the sharply increased energy demandaerobic processes will not come into full force.

It should also be borne in mind that muscles are composed of various fibers:

  • White fibers, despite the initial weakness, begin to work as soon as you start moving, with abundant production of lactic acid.
  • Red fibers adjacent to white fibers “perceive” an increase in the concentration of lactic acid and begin to gradually activate. Thus, lactic acid stimulates aerobic processes in the muscles.

Lactic acid production is obviously proportional to the intensity of exercise.

What determines the amount of lactic acid

Although the formation of lactic acid occurs even at rest, there are conditions under which its production increasesto stimulate aerobic respiration.

The amount of initially accumulated lactic acid depends on two factors:

  • sports training
  • type of activity

Of course, the more intense the exercise, the more lactic acid builds up.

How to control lactic acid production

Anaerobic respiration can be trained. This is an important point that allows us to better manage our “functional reserve” of milk and aerobic metabolism.

Functional reserve  we call the ability of our body to respond to an external stimulus that requires an answer (in this case, an energy) above the norm.

A vivid example is the exercise associated with muscle training. After constant training in the gym, we get the ability to withstand heavier loads.

Why is too much lactic acid accumulating

The level of lactic acid increases with physical exertion. But how? Is there a limit beyond which it becomes dangerous?

Here our physiology comes to the rescue. Accumulation of lactic acid corresponds to what we commonly call fatigue.. Lactic acid, which accumulates in the muscles, leads to a decrease in pH and saturation in the anaerobic way.

In practice, when an athlete performs an exercise too intensively or too long, he reaches a level where he can no longer contract muscles effectively. This situation is determined precisely by the accumulation of lactic acid.

A decrease in pH disables the functional apparatus of cellular metabolism. In addition, cells with prolonged and intense loads shift the metabolism towards anaerobic, because, despite the production of fewer energy molecules (only 2 ATP), energy is produced faster (but not enough!).

It is for this reason that we can work at maximum speed for a short period of time, and at a moderate speed you can walk tens of kilometers.

Muscle fatigue  (unlike other types of fatigue) occurs from the moment accumulation of metabolites  anaerobic processes that cannot be disposed of.

Lactic acid and pain is a myth

Personal trainers or sports instructors often hear the question: “My whole body hurts, I have accumulated muscle lactic acidhow to get rid of it effectively? Most people think that there are tools that can speed up this process.

This is not so: lactic acid is a product of physical activity, very intense or prolonged. However, in just two hours, the entire excess of lactic acid will again be converted to glucose. That is, during the time we return home after a run, take a shower and prepare dinner, our body already manages to eliminate all lactic acid dissolved in the blood.

Where do the pains come from in the muscles?

Muscle tension without proper preparation  (regular training) leads to microtrauma at the cellular level. Damaged cells send a signal to the nerve, which sends a signal to the brain that there is something wrong. The healing of such microtraumas can take several days.

At the same time, the situation of cellular stress stimulates cells to adapt. Cells increase in size and better tolerate large loads.

Once again, I welcome you to the pages of the blog about health and sports. Surely among the readers there are professional bodybuilders, athletes and, in general, athletes. There are also those who have only recently joined our classes. Think about what unites all of you, except this blog and physical activity? I will say: you all once started. And you all experienced at least discomfort after your first training. Same? And you know the reason for this too? Fine!

Then let's try today to figure out how to remove lactic acid from the muscles, because it was and remains the cause of unpleasant, sometimes even painful sensations after physical exertion.

I propose to start by establishing certain boundaries where discomfort caused precisely by lactic acid (or lactate), and where these are the consequences of microtraumas and their healing - often these two phenomena are mistakenly attributed to one. Further, it makes sense to figure out how to properly conduct training so that the release of lactic acid is as close to normal as possible.

But since our workouts are, for the most part, strong and intense, we will need to learn how to disperse lactic acid in the muscles so that the recovery process after exercise is more painless.

But first of all, let's figure out where and why there is excessive secretion of lactate in the muscles, and why it leads to pain and, often, loss of strength, temperature, etc.

Where does the acid come from

In our body, complex chemical processes take place, which we will probably not delve into in detail. However, to understand what and how is necessary. Therefore, let us “on fingers” try to master everything.

So, as you know, the body needs to draw energy from somewhere to perform various physical activities. And the more intense they are, the naturally more energy is required. Until a certain point, this energy is derived from stored fats. However, when the load begins to exceed 50% of your maximum, the energy intensity of fats is no longer enough. This is where carbohydrates come in.

The higher the load, the more carbohydrates you need to split, extracting from them. And it is this cleavage product, precisely this fuel, that is lactic acid.

Excessive accumulation of lactate, which is inevitable during intensive training, an imbalance in removing it from the body, are the reasons for those unpleasant sensations that each of you probably experienced after the training.

By the way, it is a mistake to blame pain in the muscles 2-3 days after the load on the effect of lactic acid. You can feel a side effect from it within an hour or two after training, a maximum - during the day. Burning in those muscle groups that you worked on, light dizziness, weakness, a slight increase in temperature - this is lactic acid. And muscle pain a day or more after training is the result of microtrauma received during the performance of strength exercises, and lactate has nothing to do with it.

It is worth noting that both the one and the other can be tried to minimize, correctly, correctly scheduling your sports activities. To do this, you just need to contact the trainer, who is necessarily present in any gym. But then why are you and I gathered today?

You should also know that the withdrawal of lactic acid and the reduction of pain directly depends on our diet. In order to maximally balance your diet and save yourself from weaknesses, pain and overtraining, you should use sports nutrition that will speed up metabolic processes in the body.

Proteins and Amino Acids   should always be at hand to achieve results.

How to do it right

If you thoroughly approach our classes, follow all the recommendations, then, in principle, you should not have problems with an excess of lactic acid. However, turn your attention again to make sure your actions are correct. So, training.

Be sure to start with a good workout. I always advised you in this capacity to perform: exercise bike, jump rope, squats, jogging. Specialists, in the context of lactic acid, recommend the same.

Now the actual implementation of the exercises. In order for the withdrawal from the muscles of lactate to be as consistent as possible with its intake, the interval mode of training is the most suitable. Do you know how it is? This is a change in pace and load during exercise. By the way, this also has a very effective effect on the results - not only on lactic acid.

However, not all workouts can be performed intervally, I agree. Therefore, when doing strength training, do not stretch the rest between sets - this is so I always told you and am telling you. I will add: it is important that this, albeit short, but rest, be active. This means not to lie down, catching your breath after the barbell, for example, but to walk around, do your hands or something like that. It also contributes to the adequate distribution of acid in the body.

Also, how important it is to start a lesson from a warm-up, to end it with a “hitch”. Here it’s super-effective, from which side you don’t look, do stretching. More recently, we conducted a separate training session, where we performed the appropriate set of exercises. Repeat it again, because it not only promotes muscle development, increase their volume, speedy recovery after exertion, but also does not allow lactic acid to accumulate in the muscles, evenly distributing it over all parts of the body and removing excesses.

However, many bodybuilders and powerlifters who regularly perform high loads need to carry out separate manipulations to remove lactic acid from the body, as they work at the limit of their capabilities, which means that the intake of carbohydrates literally rolls over. And this means that the amount of lactate produced is also many times higher than the norm.

How to remove lactic acid from the body

To begin with, as we know, an intensely training person should significantly differ to a large extent from those who lead a passive lifestyle. Drink from 3 to 5 liters per day.

Other procedures that contribute to the removal of lactate, believe me, you will be pleased. The most effective in this series is a bathhouse or a sauna. Here blood circulation increases significantly and blood vessels expand. Accordingly, the neutralization of the side effect of strength training is significantly accelerated. The rest of the benefits of “paired establishments”, I think, may not even be mentioned.

If for some reason the bath is not available to you, a hot bath will be a worthy replacement. Both there and there I recommend "hot" to take 10 minutes, after - 5 minutes of contrast cooling. Having done this at least 3 times in this way, you should certainly feel relieved.

On this good note, perhaps, we will end our meeting. You realized that lactic acid is the inevitable companion of an athlete. It is this fuel that gives you the energy to perform physical exercises intensively, increasing loads. However, approach this wisely, without fanaticism, so that the side effect of this fuel does not become real torment for you. See you at the next workout.

More and more people are eager to play sports and eat right. But often beginners face the following problem - muscle pain after training. It is caused by the accumulation of lactic acid in tired muscles due to various reasons. We will understand the mechanism of occurrence and how to get rid of unpleasant sensations.

What is lactic acid?

With a physical effect on muscle tissue, glucose breakdown begins in it, as a result of which a special substance is released - lactic acid. It consists of hydrogen and lactate.

Hydrogen ions inhibit the passage of nerve impulses through muscle tissue, which leads to a decrease in muscle contractility and a slowdown in energy processes. The higher the hydrogen content and, accordingly, the lactic acid, the stronger the pain will be after physical exertion. This condition may last several days.

Accumulation mechanism

Why does lactic acid form in the muscles during training? When performing various physical exercises, muscle tissue experiences the maximum oxygen demand, which is necessary for normal functioning and replenishment of the energy resource.

With intensive training, the muscles experience a large load, which prevents the flow of oxygen to them, as a result of which the blood flow slows down. This happens in the first minutes of training, but training lasts a long time, so the body needs to draw fuel in other ways. With a lack of oxygen, ATP synthesis from muscle tissue glycogen begins to be activated, and this encourages the formation of lactic acid.

The amount of this substance begins to increase rapidly, so the blood does not have time to expel it from the body, which leads to a gradual accumulation, causing a burning sensation in the muscles. Unpleasant sensations are not the only drawback.

An excess of acid leads to a decrease in energy potential, the withdrawal of creatine, a stop in the production of proteins, and also releases cortisol, the stress hormone.

This process is caused not only by heavy and intense loads, but also by regular walks, as well as other types of physical activity - cleaning, gardening, swimming and others. In this case, the discomfort will be less pronounced.

Symptoms

When lactic acid is formed, it is immediately felt by the body in the form of pain in the muscle tissue. Sometimes after a hard workout it can even be difficult to walk and roll over on the bed. Especially severe pain is experienced by the muscles that are most actively involved in physical activity. For example, after exercise on the legs, quadriceps and hip biceps will hurt.

Obvious symptoms of this phenomenon will be increased fatigue, a feeling of "overwhelming" and even a febrile state. This condition can last up to 5 days, but usually goes away on its own. But sometimes an excessive amount of lactic acid can lead to rupture and damage of muscle fibers, therefore special measures and procedures are called upon to rid of these sensations.

It is also worth remembering that not always a feeling of fatigue during training will subsequently lead to pain. However, with severe burning and discomfort during exercise, you should stop training or reduce the load so as not to damage muscle fibers.

How to remove lactic acid accumulated in the muscles?

Athletes wonder: how to remove lactic acid from the muscles? This question is also of interest to scientists. There are several theories on this subject.

The first category of specialists claims that the removal of this substance is impossible from muscle tissue, and you just need to endure the pain until the acid itself is removed. The second category, however, believes that this process can be influenced. If the so-called fatigue toxins are removed in a timely manner, then you can move away or completely get rid of the pain syndrome. These experts offer several methods of how to disperse the "milk".

Rapid removal of lactic acid is possible thanks to the following methods:

  1. Antioxidants. These substances are extremely beneficial for our body. If you want to neutralize muscle pain, then drink 200-300 ml of pomegranate or cherry juice per day.
  2. To get rid of a feeling of fatigue after a workout, it is advised to drink special decoctions. You can make them on the basis of nettle, rose hip, birch leaves.
  3. Drinking mode. Drinking plenty of water during exercise will prevent the increased formation of “fatigue toxins”.
  4. Baths with salt, coniferous oil, turpentine can contribute to the intensive removal of “milk”.
  5. You can drive out the substances formed in the muscles by visiting saunas or baths due to increased blood flow.
  6. Food with lots of vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs.

Exposure to high temperatures

You can neutralize the pain syndrome by exposure to high temperatures, for example, when visiting a bath, sauna, as well as when taking hot baths. Elevated temperature leads to improved blood circulation, swelling of muscle fibers and allows you to quickly remove lactic acid.

When visiting a sauna or bath, remember that sitting there for a long time without a break is not recommended, so you will only make it worse. Follow the following pattern: 10 minutes in the sauna, then rest for 5 minutes, then again call for 15 minutes and rest.  In total, it is recommended to spend no more than 1 hour in the sauna per day. After the procedure, you should take a shower with cool water.

This method is not suitable for people with heart and vascular diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure.

It is not always possible to go to the bath or sauna, then you can use the hot bath. The water temperature should be high enough. Dip into it for at least 10 minutes. The area of \u200b\u200bthe heart should not be in water. Then go out and doused with cool water, relax outside the bathroom. Such a cycle can be repeated no more than 5 times. This is a great way to remove lactic acid and get rid of muscle pain.

How to disperse lactic acid with a drink?

A very effective way to remove the "milk" is to drink plenty of water the day after a workout. In addition to filtered water, you can drink green tea, which is also an excellent antioxidant. In total, you need to drink at least 4 liters of fluid per day.

Although green tea can be drunk, it is better to drink plain non-carbonated water, since tea in large quantities can lead to increased pressure.

Massage

One option for getting rid of lactic acid in the muscles is massage. Any high-level specialist knows how to remove “fatigue toxins” from tired muscles. It is best to carry out the procedure the day after class. This will help relax, as well as drive lactic acid out of a particular muscle, for example, disperse it after an intense workout on your legs.

How to prevent the appearance of muscle pain?

It is the pain syndrome that causes hydrogen, which is formed as a result of the breakdown of glucose under the influence of physical stress. But the most valuable element of decay is lactate. He is responsible for the restoration of expended energy resources. During training, our muscles experience tremendous stress, so they replenish their energy reserves due to ATP, which helps lactate.

When performing strength or intensive exercises, the athlete experiences a burning sensation in the muscles, which signals the maximum accumulation of lactate. One of the tasks after class is to withdraw lactic acid and disperse throughout the body.

If you want to minimize pain after physical exertion, then observe the following rules:

  1. To accelerate lactate through the blood vessels will help shortened rest between sets.
  2. If you drag out the rest time, the muscles will cool. This will lead to a decrease in lactate production.
  3. Alternate strength exercises with cardio (running, jumping rope, bicycle).
  4. Cardio loading will allow you to remove lactate from tired muscles in those that are included in the work later. This property provides muscle endurance for long workouts.
  5. Nutrition after training. In order to replenish energy reserves and expel lactic acid from muscle tissue, it is necessary to adhere to some nutritional principles: the use of complex carbohydrates; increased amount of protein; sports nutrition drugs - citrulline, beta-alanine, which will help get rid of muscle pain.

Sports Nutrition and Muscle Pain

How to remove pain from the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles with sports nutrition? It is enough to include the following drugs:

  • Glutamine is the main amino acid from which muscle cells are built. It contributes not only to better recovery, but also helps drive out excess lactic acid. Sold in the form of powder or tablets.
  • L-carnitine is famous for helping fat burning, but also thanks to it, you can disperse the “milk” and increase athletic performance. Available in liquid form or in the form of tablets or capsules.
  • Creatine helps drive fatigue toxins out of muscle tissue. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect.
  • Beta-alanine will not only remove lactic acid, but also prevent it from appearing in large quantities and reduce the manifestation of pain and burning in the muscles during training.
  • Carnosine is a drug that reduces the content of hydrogen ions generated by the breakdown of glucose. Available in tablets.

Thus, lactic acid in the muscles is both a plus and a significant disadvantage of physical activity. In order to withdraw it after training or reduce synthesis, there are many methods: folk remedies, sports nutrition, sauna and hot tub. A massage that can be carried out independently will help to drive out the acid. The best way to prevent the formation of “fatigue toxins” and the occurrence of pain is to follow a training regimen.

Many athletes and sports enthusiasts are aware that the cause of muscle pain during exercise is the formation of lactic acid (or lactate). From here, many have the question: how to remove lactic acid? Or at least how to make lactic acid in the muscles not interfere with training? But first, let's deal with lactic acid - what it is, where it comes from in the muscles, and why all this is needed.

What is lactic acid?

The formula of lactic acid shows that this simple substance is 2-hydroxypropanoic acid. Lactic acid is formed during the oxidation of glucose. Subsequently, lactic acid is transported to other tissues, where it is involved in gluconeogenesis. Glucose is broken down into two pyruvic acid molecules (pyruvate), which can be oxidized both in the presence of oxygen with the formation of acetyl coenzyme A (aerobic glycolysis) and without oxygen with the formation of lactic acid (anaerobic glycolysis). Thus, lactic acid in the muscles is formed with a lack of oxygen. This led to the conclusion that improved muscle oxygen supply can reduce the accumulation of lactic acid. This is only partially true.

The role of lactic acid in training

Of course, it is fair to consider that it is better to go in for sports in conditions providing a good supply of oxygen to muscles - in the fresh air, having a good warm-up, improving blood supply to tissues through breathing exercises, using pumping preparations, etc. But the whole point is that with explosive loads that make up more than 50% of the maximum, oxygen in muscle tissue is consumed much faster than it can with blood. No matter how actively the blood delivers oxygen to the muscles, with large loads of oxygen, it will still not be enough. Therefore, the mechanism of anaerobic glycolysis is connected - the production of energy from glucose without the participation of oxygen. A little less efficient in terms of energy, but at the same time avoiding hypoxia (oxygen starvation).

Is lactic acid needed?


In the human body, everything is arranged very wisely and systemically. Therefore, it cannot be considered accidental that in case of large and intense loads (many times increasing the risk of injury), it is not harmless acetyl-CoA that is involved in the further supply of tissue with energy, but lactic acid, the accumulation of which leads to pain and a decrease in the working capacity of muscle fibers. Thus, the formation of lactic acid in the muscles is part of the safety system, which helps to avoid excessive muscle damage during heavy loads.

It is sometimes believed that it is lactic acid that is responsible for krepatura - delayed muscle pain that occurs the next day after a hard workout or work. But this is not true - krepatura is the result of microtrauma in the muscles. And increased lactic acid manifests itself as a characteristic burning sensation in working muscles. It occurs at the time of the exercise, and not after training. The pain disappearing after the cessation of work is a signal for the removal of lactic acid from the muscles. Therefore, the question "how to remove lactic acid from the muscles?" Is meaningless - it is already withdrawn by itself almost instantly - in half a minute-minute.

Additional functions of lactic acid

As already mentioned, lactic acid is part of a protective mechanism that blocks muscle overload. In addition, lactic acid causes an increase in blood flow in the muscles and, thus, helps to improve their nutrition, remove harmful products of vital activity, and, consequently, increase.

In the longer term, lactic acid is involved in gluconeogenesis - replenishment of glycogen reserves in the body (up to 75% of lactic acid returns to glycogen).

And finally, there are studies in which it is established that increasing the amount of lactic acid stimulates cells that produce the main anabolic hormone - testosterone. There is no doubt that the introduction of lactic acid from the outside will enhance the secretion of testosterone, or that the effect of additional intake of lactic acid will be limited only by a positive factor. But, in fact, it has long been known that active physical activity causes an increase in testosterone production. In this case, we only see the disclosure of one aspect of this phenomenon.

Output.  So, an increase in the content of lactic acid in the muscles occurs as a result of intense intense loads (“anaerobic loads”), leads to painful sensations and reduces performance. This saves the body from overload, and also serves as an important factor in subjectively evaluating the effectiveness of a workout. Lactic acid is removed from the muscles very quickly - only a hitch, active rest and an increase in the body's overall resistance to stress during systematic training can affect this process. Lactic acid is not so much harmful as it helps the muscles grow, including indirectly, stimulating the production of testosterone.

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