While still in the muscle cells, the hydrogen ion is what is responsible for lowering the pH of the muscle tissue, making it more acidic. This decrease in the muscle pH, known as acidosis, can lead to some of the burning sensations felt in the muscles during intense exercise.
The good news, however, is that lactic acid is more of a helper to our muscles since it ultimately provides energy. The lactate is often recycled and used as energy, which is much needed during bouts of intense exercise. Lactic acid is produced during bouts of high-intensity exercise as your body works hard to produce the energy that it needs to sustain the activity. Our bodies use adenosine triphosphate ATP as a primary energy source. During bouts of high-intensity exercise, like sprints or heavy loads during lifting, the body relies on the ATP-PC and Glycolytic systems glycolysis for quick energy because they produce ATP at faster rates than the Oxidative system.
Once energy resources from the ATP-PC system start to run low, the body turns to the Glycolytic system, or glycolysis, next. During the process of glycolysis, pyruvate is produced as a by-product. When this happens, pyruvate accumulates in the muscle cell, and is quickly converted into lactate, while also releasing a free hydrogen ion in the process.
To clear this traffic jam and resume energy production, the lactate and hydrogen ion pair together as lactic acid so that they can then be removed from the cell and into the blood. Once the lactic acid is removed from the muscle cell, it disassociates, and the lactate and hydrogen ion exist separately in the blood. An excess of these components in the blood could result in acidic conditions that would be damaging to other structures in the body. Fortunately, the body has several ways to deal with the overflow of lactate and hydrogen ions that are released into the blood during intense exercise.
Thankfully, the lactic acid buildup is not something that we need to be concerned with. The human body is well-equipped to manage this metabolic by-product as it enters the bloodstream.
Under normal circumstances, i. At this point, the ability to exercise at this intensity will greatly diminish…fast.
A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Women's Health. Primary Care. Mental Health. More Button Icon Circle with three vertical dots. It indicates a way to see more nav menu items inside the site menu by triggering the side menu to open and close. Ava English. This article was medically reviewed by Jason R. Our stories are reviewed by medical professionals to ensure you get the most accurate and useful information about your health and wellness.
For more information, visit our medical review board. Lactic acid build-up causes a burning sensation in your muscles during intense exercise. Lactic acid is not responsible for sore muscles the day after exercise, contrary to popular belief. To get rid of lactic acid build-up in muscles, take more breaks or decrease your exercise intensity. Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice.
Ava English is a freelance health writer. You can follow her on Twitter. HEALTH 5 health benefits of stretching: Why it's so important and how to stretch properly, according to physical therapists. Additional comments. As our bodies perform strenuous exercise, we begin to breathe faster as we attempt to shuttle more oxygen to our working muscles.
The body prefers to generate most of its energy using aerobic methods, meaning with oxygen. Some circumstances, however—such as evading the historical saber tooth tiger or lifting heavy weights—require energy production faster than our bodies can adequately deliver oxygen.
In those cases, the working muscles generate energy anaerobically. This energy comes from glucose through a process called glycolysis, in which glucose is broken down or metabolized into a substance called pyruvate through a series of steps. When the body has plenty of oxygen, pyruvate is shuttled to an aerobic pathway to be further broken down for more energy. But when oxygen is limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into a substance called lactate, which allows glucose breakdown—and thus energy production—to continue.
The working muscle cells can continue this type of anaerobic energy production at high rates for one to three minutes, during which time lactate can accumulate to high levels.
A side effect of high lactate levels is an increase in the acidity of the muscle cells, along with disruptions of other metabolites. The same metabolic pathways that permit the breakdown of glucose to energy perform poorly in this acidic environment. On the surface, it seems counterproductive that a working muscle would produce something that would slow its capacity for more work. In reality, this is a natural defense mechanism for the body; it prevents permanent damage during extreme exertion by slowing the key systems needed to maintain muscle contraction.
Contrary to popular opinion, lactate or, as it is often called, lactic acid buildup is not responsible for the muscle soreness felt in the days following strenuous exercise.
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