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it has nothing to do with lactic acid
Jul
When many of us head to the gym or for a run to recover from a period of fatigue, we may experience additional muscle pain.
This is especially true when there has been a longer break between training sessions.
A common misconception is that such soreness is caused by a build-up of lactic acid in the muscles.
However, research shows that lactic acid has has nothing to do with itThe truth is much more fascinating, but also a bit more convoluted.
Read more: Can’t afford a gym membership or fitness class? 3 things you should include in your workout routine
This is not lactic acid
We have known for decades that lactic acid has nothing to do with muscle pain after exercise.
In fact, as we have long known (Robert Andrew Robergs), he arguedcells produce lactate, not lactic acid. This process actually I oppose does not cause acid to accumulate in the muscles and bloodstream.
Unfortunately, historical inertia causes people to continue to operate the term “lactic acid” in reference to exercise.
Lactate doesn’t cause any major problems for the muscles you operate during exercise. You would probably be worse off without it due to other benefits for the working muscles.
Lactate is not the reason you feel sore for a few days after increasing your weight or exercising after a long break.
So if it’s not lactic acid or lactate, what is causing muscle pain?
Snapshot
Muscle pain during and after exercise
During exercise, many chemical reactions occur in muscle cells. All of these chemical reactions accumulate products and byproducts that cause water to enter the cells.
This causes an escalate in pressure within and between muscle cells.
This pressure combined with the movement of molecules from muscle cells can stimulate nerve endings and cause discomfort during exercise.
The pain and discomfort you sometimes feel hours or days after an unusual type or intensity of exercise has a variety of causes.
If you exercise beyond your usual level or routine, you can cause microscopic damage to your muscles and their connections to your tendons.
This type of damage causes the release of ions and other molecules from the muscles, which causes local swelling and stimulation of nerve endings.
This is sometimes known as “delayed onset muscle pain” or DOMS.
While the damage occurs during exercise, the response to the injury builds over the next one to two days (longer if the damage is severe). This can sometimes cause pain and difficulty with normal movement.
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Result
Studies clearly show that the discomfort caused by delayed onset muscle soreness has nothing to do with lactate Or lactic acid.
The good news, however, is that muscles adapt quickly to activity that might initially cause delayed onset muscle soreness.
So, assuming you don’t wait too long (longer than about two weeks) before resuming activity, you will sustain significantly less damage and experience less discomfort the next time you engage in the same activity.
If you have an exercise goal (like taking on a specific hike or completing a half marathon), make sure it’s realistic and something you can achieve with several months of training.
Such training will gradually build the muscle adaptations necessary to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness. And reduced fatigue from exercise makes sticking to a routine or habit more enjoyable and easier.
Finally, remove “lactic acid” from your exercise vocabulary. Its alleged role in muscle pain is a myth that has been around for a long time.
Read more: Climb stairs, carry groceries, chase kids: Random, vigorous activity linked to lower cancer risk
