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Lactic acid is released into muscles when they exhaust their normal energy reserves but still demand high energy levels. A small amount acts as a temporary energy source, preventing exhaustion during exercise. However, excessive lactic acid buildup can cause a burning sensation in muscles and hinder your workout performance. For this reason, you may want to reduce lactic acid accumulation. This article by Mytour will guide you through effective methods to achieve that.
Steps
Recognizing Lactic Acid Buildup
Identify the burning sensation in muscles caused by lactic acid. During exercise, the body typically relies on stored glucose and inhaled oxygen as primary fuel sources. However, high-intensity workouts can push the body beyond its normal capacity, leading to insufficient oxygen and glucose reserves. At this point, the body releases lactic acid as an alternative fuel source, signaling a shift to anaerobic metabolism.
- Lactic acid is also known as lactate.
- The body remains in anaerobic metabolism for an extended period, and fatigue naturally sets in once it reaches its threshold.
Understand that lactic acid is beneficial in most cases. Lactic acid is naturally produced when the body metabolizes glucose into energy during exercise. It enables the body to absorb and utilize this energy effectively. However, problems arise when the body is pushed beyond its limits for prolonged periods. In most cases, this effect fades on its own.
- Excessive lactic acid buildup can lead to lactic acidosis, but this condition is rare.
Pay attention to harmful lactic acid buildup symptoms. While lactic acid accumulation from exercise is usually harmless, lactic acidosis can occur. If you notice these symptoms, consult a doctor rather than self-diagnosing. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include:
- Disorientation
- Weakness
- Jaundice
- Yellowing of the eyes
- Breathing issues such as shallow or rapid breathing
- Rapid heartbeat
- Muscle pain or cramps
- Abdominal pain and discomfort
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting
Do not associate lactic acid with post-exercise muscle soreness. Lactic acid is often mistakenly blamed for muscle soreness occurring 1-3 days after exercise. However, recent research suggests that lactic acid, which acts as a temporary fuel during intense physical activity, is cleared from the body within an hour after a workout, meaning it does not cause prolonged muscle pain.
- The latest hypothesis suggests that this soreness—known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)—results from microscopic muscle damage during intense workouts, leading to inflammation, swelling, and pain as muscles repair themselves.
Tip: To reduce post-exercise muscle soreness, ensure proper warm-up to activate muscles and cooldown to relax them after working out. This process helps prepare muscles for movement. Additionally, avoid overexertion and instead gradually increase your workout intensity.
Reducing Lactic Acid During Exercise
Stay Hydrated. Lactic acid dissolves in water, so the more hydrated you are, the less burning sensation you’ll feel as lactic acid accumulates during exercise.
- Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after workouts. Remember, if you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated.
- Consume 240ml – 480ml of water before exercising, then drink another 240ml every 20 minutes during your workout.
Breathe Deeply. The burning sensation in muscles during exercise comes from both lactic acid buildup and oxygen deficiency.
- Focus on deep, steady breathing while working out. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
- This technique helps deliver oxygen to your muscles and slows down lactic acid production.
Maintain an Appropriate Heart Rate. Overexertion leads to lactic acid buildup. Depending on your fitness goals, your heart rate should stay within the fat-burning or cardio zone. While short bursts of high-intensity training can improve aerobic fitness, avoid exceeding your cardio zone for more than 1-2 minutes at a time.
- Most of your workout should stay below your anaerobic threshold, which can be calculated based on age.
- First, determine your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you're 30, the calculation is 220-30=190 beats per minute.
- Next, find your fat-burning zone by multiplying your max heart rate by 50% and 70% (190×50%=95 and 190×70%=133). For a 30-year-old, the fat-burning zone is 95-133 bpm.
- Then, calculate your cardio zone by multiplying your max heart rate by 70% and 85% (190×70%=133 and 190×85%=162). For a 30-year-old, the cardio zone is 133-162 bpm.
- If your heart rate exceeds 162 bpm, you are overexerting and reaching your anaerobic threshold.
Exercise Regularly. The more conditioned your body is, the less glucose it needs to burn, leading to lower lactic acid accumulation. This is because a well-trained body burns calories and utilizes energy more efficiently, requiring less effort for the same activity.
- Aim to work out multiple times per week but allow at least 1–2 rest days for muscle recovery.
Tip: Gradually increase workout intensity. Plan to extend workout duration or repetitions slowly—this will help raise your body's threshold for lactic acid production over time.
Be Cautious When Lifting Weights. Weightlifting often triggers lactic acid buildup because it demands more oxygen than your body can supply.
- While the saying “feel the burn” is common, excessive lactic acid accumulation may lead to micro-tears in muscles, causing soreness for days.
- Gradually increase weights and repetitions to keep lactic acid levels manageable.
Lower Intensity If You Feel a Burning Sensation. The burning feeling during high-intensity exercise is your body's way of preventing overexertion. Make sure your workouts are challenging but not painful.
- If doing aerobic exercises like running, brisk walking, cycling, or using a stair climber or elliptical, slow down your pace. If weightlifting, reduce reps or lighten the weights.
- Taking short breaks allows more oxygen to reach your muscles, helping to clear lactic acid.
Stretch After Exercise. Lactic acid disperses within 30 minutes to an hour post-workout, and stretching aids in its release, easing any burning or cramping sensations.
- Perform gentle stretches after intense workouts and use your fingertips to massage muscles lightly.
- This step also minimizes minor muscle injuries that could otherwise lead to prolonged soreness.
Stay Active. Rest is essential after exercise, but maintaining an active lifestyle is equally important. Muscles thrive on movement, oxygen, and hydration to stay healthy. An occasional burning sensation in muscles isn’t harmful; a small amount of lactic acid can actually be beneficial for metabolism.
- In small amounts, lactic acid enhances energy absorption and increases calorie burn! Additionally, short anaerobic workout intervals help build endurance over time.
Reducing Lactic Acid Through Diet
Increase Your Magnesium Intake. Magnesium is an essential mineral for energy production. Maintaining optimal magnesium levels helps fuel muscles during workouts, reducing lactic acid buildup. Aim to boost your daily magnesium intake, preferably through diet.
- While supplements are an option, a diverse and healthy diet can provide sufficient magnesium naturally.
Tip: Leafy greens like Swiss chard, spinach, collard greens, and turnip greens, along with legumes such as navy beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, and lima beans, are rich in magnesium. Seeds like pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds, as well as tofu—especially nigari tofu—are excellent sources of magnesium.
Consume Foods Rich in Fatty Acids. Healthy fatty acids aid in glucose breakdown, a crucial process for energy production. This reduces the body’s reliance on lactic acid during high-intensity workouts, helping you train longer.
- Get essential fatty acids from cold-water fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, nuts and seeds such as walnuts and flaxseeds, and plant-based oils like corn, sunflower, and soybean oil.
- Fatty acids also help combat inflammation, reducing muscle soreness after intense workouts.
Eat Foods High in Vitamin B. B vitamins play a vital role in transporting glucose throughout the body, fueling muscles during exercise, and minimizing the need for lactic acid production.
- Foods rich in B vitamins include leafy greens, celery, beans, peas, and high-protein sources like fish, beef, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.
- These vitamin-rich foods also replenish essential nutrients lost during strenuous workouts.
Tip
- Severe muscle soreness and restricted range of motion for 1-3 days after intense workouts are common among athletes and are known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Many methods that help reduce lactic acid buildup also aid in preventing DOMS.
- Avoid overstretching, as it can lead to pain and discomfort.
- Drinking baking soda may help delay lactic acid accumulation, but always seek professional advice before trying it.
