Muscle pain experienced after a workout is a clear sign that you have fully loaded your body and have not wasted your time in the gym. Such sensations are normal and quickly go away during rest and sleep. And if we are talking about fatigue and overtraining, we cannot help but pay attention to such a substance as lactic acid, which is produced by our body under certain conditions. What it is, when exactly its synthesis begins and what it affects - we will consider further.
Lactic acid
Lactic acid in the human body: how and when does it appear?
First, let's figure out how exactly lactic acid appears in the muscles.
The source of “energy”, thanks to which we can perform set after set, repetition after repetition, and indeed any physical activity, is adenosine triphosphate (or ATP for short). Each organism has a fixed supply of it, which is consumed during exercise. On average, it lasts a little longer than an hour of intense work - it is for this reason that the duration of the workout should not exceed this time.
Once ATP stores are depleted and muscles are still being used, the body's process of obtaining fuel changes. ATP begins to be produced at an emergency rate by breaking down glucose. However, along with adenosine triphosphate, which is so necessary for the body, lactic acid (or lactate) also appears.
The attitude towards lactic acid is quite ambiguous. Inexperienced beginners who are just beginning to study the theoretical foundations of bodybuilding and the processes that affect the quality of training believe that lactic acid in the muscles is harmful and only slows down progress. However, this is a serious misconception: in fact, lactate is a kind of fast “fuel” for the body, and allows you to train much more efficiently and productively.
Why does muscle pain occur?
When athletes experience severe muscle pain after exercise (particularly after a break from exercise or when performing new exercises), it is often believed that the cause is excess lactic acid. In fact, this is partly a misconception.
The resulting burning sensation in the muscles, which goes away after a couple of days, is actually called delayed muscle pain (abbreviated as LMS). It is the ZMB that you feel when you begin to make significant changes to the program: perform new exercises, train longer, or when you resume training after a long break. This phenomenon is minimally associated with lactic acid - the occurrence of a burning sensation occurs due to the fact that the muscle fibers receive microtrauma during exercise. The healing of these same micro-tears is accompanied by muscle pain, and along with it, muscle growth.
This feeling is typical only for the first workouts: literally after 3-4 sessions the burning sensation will be felt much weaker, or even disappear altogether. This is due to the fact that the body is a system that can adapt to a wide variety of conditions. After this, microtraumas will no longer heal so painfully and for a long time, which means the growth of muscle fibers will slow down. It is for this reason that it is necessary to regularly change your training program. According to the recommendations of many athletes, some changes should be made after 2-3 months of usual activities - and this will have a positive effect on the rate of muscle growth and strength.
Effects of lactic acid on muscles
The production of lactic acid also has its negative sides. In particular, its accumulation in the body begins to impede the contraction of muscle fibers, impairs nerve conduction and reduces the rate of “energy” production. That is, to put it simply, it helps the athlete with short-term intense repetitions, but interferes with long-term loads.
Massage and sauna to remove lactic acid from the body
So, we have already figured out that lactic acid is not such a serious and dangerous enemy for the human body and for progress in bodybuilding. With the right approach, even the opposite - it can become your “assistant”, with a thoughtful combination of exercises allowing you to improve the effectiveness of your training.
However, athletes who do not understand such issues often spend a considerable amount of time supposedly ridding the body of lactic acid. There is a misconception that after a hard workout, when muscle pain is felt, a warm bath, sauna and massage will help speed up recovery and get rid of lactic acid.
In fact, it has been proven many times that these absolutely useful and pleasant methods do not in any way affect the amount of lactic acid in the body. To prove this, studies were conducted: one group of people simply rested after intense exercise, and the second group visited a sauna and a massage. As a result, a blood test taken from representatives of both groups showed the same content of lactic acid salts - which means that neither the sauna nor the massage accelerated recovery in any way.
But acceleration is affected by calm and leisurely cycling. Just 15-30 minutes spent “in the saddle” significantly reduced lactic acid levels.
Let's sum it up
Such a question certainly poses a significant difficulty for many athletes who are not familiar in detail with their own body and the processes that take place in it. In principle, it is not at all necessary to understand this in detail - it is enough to at least study it superficially to avoid common misconceptions. So, let's summarize.
- Lactic acid occurs during the breakdown of glucose when ATP reserves are depleted.
- Lactic acid is NOT the “enemy” of the body and muscles.
- Lactic acid helps you perform short-term intense repetitions, but makes it difficult to perform long-term repetitions.
- Lactic acid does NOT cause the burning sensation we experience for days after a workout.
- Lactic acid is NOT eliminated faster by using a sauna or massage.
- Lactic acid makes it harder for muscle fibers to contract, leading to fatigue during training.
Muscle acidification- this is a process in which, as a result of intense work, lactic acid or lactate, as it is also called, accumulates in the muscles. Conventionally, lactic acid is a byproduct of muscle activity. Its level in the blood is directly related to the intensity with which you train. And the more you force your muscles to work, the more lactate accumulates in them.
The main indicator of muscle acidification is a burning sensation. It becomes painful for you to do the exercise, you can no longer do repetitions. When lactic acid accumulates in the body, it significantly impedes nerve conduction, which in turn creates problems with the production of new muscle contractions.
An extreme form of acidification is muscle failure, a condition where you can no longer complete a single repetition of an exercise.
What are the benefits of muscle strengthening?
Despite all the negative symptoms, there are benefits to acidification. Lactic acid acts as a source of energy for the body: the body uses approximately two-thirds of the lactate produced during training as fuel.
In addition, acidification is an indicator that the muscles have really worked hard and received a stimulus for growth. Without the burning there will be no progress. But! It is important to use acidification correctly and not overdo it.
How to neutralize lactic acid?
Proper nutrition, with a sufficient content of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, as well as various vitamins and microelements.
What foods remove lactic acid from muscles?
Fresh fruits and berries rich in antioxidants. For example, pomegranate and cherry juice are great for removing toxins and glucose breakdown products.
The most effective folk remedies are herbal teas and decoctions and fruits. Nettle, hawthorn and rose hips are suitable for this, with the addition of a small amount of honey.
Drink plenty of fluids during and after training. A glass of water and half a teaspoon of baking soda before exercise can effectively prevent lactic acid buildup.
Taking hot baths. The water should be acceptably hot. This helps increase blood circulation and remove lactic acid more actively. You can add salt and essential oils, such as lavender or pine needles, to the bath. The procedure should not exceed ten minutes, and you also cannot lie down completely in the bath; the water should be below the level of the heart. After this, it is advisable to douse yourself with cold water. If the pain is severe, you can repeat the procedure up to five times.
Warming balm . It also stimulates blood flow into the muscles, as a result of which the process of lactic acid removal is accelerated.
Maintaining a rest regime. Healthy, full sleep helps the body recover faster, increases metabolic rate, helping to remove lactic acid more quickly.
Did you know that lactic acid in muscles causes burning sensation during exercise? It can also cause muscles to ache after exercise. This is such a specific feeling that is familiar to everyone who has ever picked up weights. Burning and pain are the main symptoms of lactic acid accumulation in the muscles.
A little theory
Let's start with the fact that the universal source of energy for the body is glucose. With the help of the body's enzyme system, it is oxidized to molecules of water and carbon dioxide through the formation of intermediate substances. At the same time, the very energy through which we live is released.
There are several processes of glucose decomposition: glycolysis, aerobic breakdown of glucose, etc. We are not talking about this now, we are not in a biochemistry lesson. These processes differ, in particular, in the presence of certain intermediate products.
Enzymes are protein assistant molecules that greatly accelerate all biochemical reactions in the cells of our body.
By the way, glucose processing occurs in every cell. After all, each cell behaves as an independent structure, capable of providing for itself like an accomplished man. She receives “income” in the form of nutrients and “spends” it on her needs in order to live well and comfortably. Except that in a cage everything is much more complicated.
Man is an aerobic organism. That is, we cannot live without air. We need oxygen to break down glucose. But some of our cells have learned to live for a short time without oxygen.
Therefore, there is an aerobic pathway for the breakdown of glucose, with the formation, for example, of pyruvic acid (or pyruvate), and an anaerobic pathway with the formation of lactate (the very lactic acid in question). This is how muscles obtain energy during heavy physical exertion, when the supply of oxygen is difficult, but it is necessary to work.
Typically, the process of removing lactate from muscles is faster than its accumulation. If you experience a burning sensation, these are symptoms that more lactic acid is being stored than is being eliminated.
Lactate is an acid; it acidifies the environment in which it is found. The receptors on the muscle cells are irritated, and we feel that familiar burning sensation.
On the Internet you can find information that lactate is an ion of lactic acid. Remember that in biochemistry, lactate is usually called lactic acid itself.
Burning sensation during exercise
The burning sensation comes on quite quickly during the first workouts. Over time, the body adapts to the load and organizes the biochemical machine so that lactate is quickly removed from the muscles. And the receptors do not have time to react to its high concentration.
Thus, an experienced athlete either feels a short-term burning sensation or does not feel it at all.
They say that working through such an unpleasant sensation in the muscles develops endurance. This is a correct opinion, but there is also another way - regularity, increasing the load time each training session. In this case, you do not need to endure the burning sensation for a long time. Over time, this will help you get rid of lactic acid buildup in your muscles.
Burning does not stimulate muscle fiber growth in any way. In this case, burning does not mean growing. Your myofibrils simply “eat” and release ATP to continue contracting.
By the way, to make your muscles work more efficiently, stock up on carbohydrates before training. In other words, have a snack. Then the load will be more effective.
If your goal is not weight gain, but weight loss, you can use your internal reserves as a reserve. But remember, the training will be much more difficult. First, your glycogen supply in your muscles and liver will noticeably deplete, and then fat will begin to be consumed. To restore resources, you will still need to consume carbohydrates, just in smaller quantities.
To increase endurance, some athletes take creatine, or ready-made lactic acid. The most commonly used drug is creatine.
Lactic acid in the muscles causes a fairly strong burning sensation. And the further we work with this burning sensation, the stronger the pain that we want to get rid of will be.
If you feel that your muscles are acidifying, rest longer after the exercise. If the burning sensation occurs frequently and begins as early as the 3rd or 4th repetition, before and during training, eat something containing fast carbohydrates. This could be a regular meal or a special sports drink.
If you're looking to build muscle, burning during exercise is your enemy. Try to avoid it as little as possible.
Specific pain within 1-2 days after heavy exercise indicates that your muscles are growing.
And lactic acid is an intermediate product of the anaerobic breakdown of glucose. It causes burning in the muscles during exercise and can cause you discomfort for some time. It does not affect muscle growth, but interferes with work.
How to reduce the period of pain and burning
Nutrition, sleep, exercise
Some bodybuilders report that the duration of such pain can be dramatically reduced by taking glutamine supplements. We would also add L-carnitine, which helps to quickly deliver glucose molecules to the muscles, breaking down fat cells. And creatine - it significantly increases the rate of removal of lactic acid from the muscles.
Consume the amount of BJU your body needs. Get enough sleep. Warm up at home after training. To remove lactic acid from the muscles, you need to “disperse” it throughout the body with blood.
Drink plenty of water. The blood becomes less viscous and spreads more easily throughout the body, quickly “washing” all its parts, which also helps get rid of pain.
Saunas, hot baths
To get rid of lactic acid, you can visit saunas. It is an effective treatment for pain and burning. If your body tolerates high ambient temperatures well, this option is for you. You can sit in the sauna after your workout.
It is advisable to have a pool nearby with not too cool water. It is very convenient and pleasant to dive into it after a sauna, cool your body and warm up in the sauna again.
You can use a hot bath instead of a sauna. Pour sea salt into it and lie there for about 10 minutes. If you need to cool your body, use cool water.
The above activities speed up the removal of lactic acid from the body and tone your blood vessels. This will help you not only quickly get rid of lactate, but also improve your well-being.
Massage
Any massage therapist knows how to remove lactic acid from muscles. Massage immediately after exercise not only helps to relax tense muscles, but can also specifically expel lactic acid from them.
Get a massage after training, it will significantly improve your well-being. We do not recommend allowing massage therapists close to your neck. Make sure he has a medical degree and not just a 30-day massage certificate.
Training mode
The training regimen is the prevention and treatment of muscle pain.
Attention newcomers! In order not to spoil the impression of the gym after the first visit, dose the load.
First, start with light weights. Let them be easy for you. Your job is to learn the correct technique. Then you will increase weights and work on increasing the size of your muscles.
Secondly, pay attention to the number of repetitions. An unprepared muscle will easily drown in lactate after 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Therefore, do 2 approaches. Perhaps the trainer will tell you to do exactly 3, or even 4.
Let's give an example of classic mistakes made by trainers in a fitness club. A newcomer came who had never trained before. There are no muscles, no mass, no strength either. And the coach offers him:
- Bench press 3 sets of 10 times.
- Incline bench press 3 sets of 12 reps.
- Dumbbell raises... Wait, he no longer has the strength. No forces!
Instead of an empty bar, the trainer weighed another 10 kg, because 20 is too little, in his opinion. He's a coach.
In the end, the guy does everything he can. And exactly as many times as he was told. And then he disappears from life for a week. Unfortunately, this happens often.
During the first month of training, learn technique, strengthen your ligaments with light weights. The first workout (and the second) do 2 sets of all exercises. And if you want to prepare for summer in a month, then just stay home.
During carbohydrate metabolism. The scheme of its formation is as follows: carbohydrates are broken down, then glucose is broken down, then lactic acid itself, and as a result lactate and a hydrogen ion are obtained. By the way, it is the hydrogen ion that is responsible for pain and burning in the muscles. And lactate, on the contrary, “invigorates” the muscles. The pain that results from overdoing it cannot be ignored. After all, pain is an indicator of ill health and the fact that not everything is in order in the body. To prevent regular training from becoming stressful for the body, and to prevent your muscles from regularly starting to ache, you need to follow a number of recommendations. And here’s one of them: you definitely need to warm up your muscles. To do this, you need to do a short warm-up, mainly done on cardio equipment. This is necessary for the body to adjust to subsequent loads.
The main and most important recommendation is the balance of training programs. To remove accumulated milk from the muscles , you need to wisely combine short, but high-intensity training and long sessions with endurance exercises. Lactic acid is eliminated due to accelerated metabolism.
Another way to reduce the level of lactic acid in the muscles is after training, calmly, slowly and without much effort, pedal for 10 minutes on an exercise bike.
In addition to these methods, massage, a warm bath, complete rest, green tea, and in some cases beer or wine are also recommended. However, it has not been scientifically proven that these methods can help remove accumulated lactic acid from the body. And if these measures are used, then more as preventative measures that will help either prepare the muscles for training or relax them after it. And this, in turn, will help them recover faster from unusual physical activity.
Let's find out what lactic acid is and why it is formed in muscles. Let's explore the truth and myths about the means of getting rid of this product of physiological cellular respiration, necessary for immediate energy production.
What is lactic acid
Lactic acid is a product of metabolism, the formation of which is associated with the work of muscles in the absence of oxygen (anaerobiosis).
This acid is also called "carboxylic acid", 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 obtain energy, the cell “breathes” and such respiration has the purpose of producing energy molecules (ATP or adenosine triphosphate), with the help of which the cell can carry out all processes that require energy.
Differences between aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration
Our cells use two types of respiration: aerobic and anaerobic.
- Aerobic respiration 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 “ultimate 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 obtain energy from glucose, but leads to formation of lactic acid, which is used to accept e-waste to avoid problems.
As we see, these types of respiration produce various metabolites, but this is not the only difference, their effectiveness also differs: in the case of lactic acid fermentation (anaerobic), 2 ATP molecules are formed, and aerobic fermentation produces 38! This is the main reason why we cannot remain without oxygen for a long time.
Lactic acid even at rest
Why cells perform anaerobic processes even in the presence of oxygen?
The fact is that this type of breathing, producing ATP, allows you to instantly satisfy energy demands, while aerobic processes take time.
When we load muscles, anaerobic respiration seeks to compensate for the sharply increased need for energy, but aerobic processes will not come into full force.
It should also be taken into account that muscles consist of different fibers:
- The white fibers, despite the initial weakness, begin to work as soon as you begin to move, producing abundant lactic acid.
- Red fibers adjacent to white fibers “perceive” an increase in the concentration of lactic acid and begin to gradually become activated. Thus, lactic acid stimulates aerobic processes in the muscles.
Lactic acid production is apparently proportional to the intensity of exercise.
What determines the amount of lactic acid?
Although lactic acid formation occurs even at rest, there are conditions under which its production increases to stimulate aerobic respiration.
The amount of lactic acid initially accumulated depends on two factors:
- sports training
- type of activity
Of course, the more intense the exercise, the more lactic acid accumulates.
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 a response (in this case, energy) above the norm.
A striking example is physical exercise associated with muscle training. After constant training in the gym, we gain the ability to withstand heavier loads.
Why does too much lactic acid accumulate?
Lactic acid levels increase with physical activity. But how? Is there a limit above which it becomes dangerous?
This is where our physiology comes to our aid. The accumulation of lactic acid corresponds to what we usually call fatigue. Lactic acid, which accumulates in the muscles, leads to a decrease in pH and saturation anaerobically.
In practice, when an athlete performs an exercise too intensely or for too long, he reaches a point where he can no longer contract the muscles effectively. This situation is determined precisely by the accumulation of lactic acid.
A decrease in pH turns off the functional apparatus of cellular metabolism. In addition, cells during prolonged and intense exercise shift their 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, but at a moderate speed we can travel tens of kilometers.
Muscle fatigue(unlike other types of fatigue) occurs from the moment accumulation of metabolites anaerobic processes that cannot be utilized.
Lactic acid and pain is a myth
Personal trainers or athletic trainers often hear the question: “I have pain all over my body, I have accumulated lactic acid in muscles, how to effectively get rid of it? Most people think that there are tools that can speed up this process.
It's not like that: lactic acid is a product of physical activity, very intense or prolonged. However, in just two hours, all excess lactic acid will be converted back into 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 does muscle pain come from?
Muscle tension without proper preparation(regular training), leads to microtrauma at the cellular level. Damaged cells send a signal to a nerve, which transmits a signal to the brain that something is wrong. Healing of such microtraumas may take several days.
At the same time, the situation of cellular stress stimulates cells to adapt. Cells increase in size and better tolerate heavy loads.
