Running with Lactic Acid

All runners have experienced the burning sensation in their calves associated with lactic acid buildup.  But not many understand what it is, what causes it or how to make it work for them.  Instead, they hear a symphony of misguided assumptions that it’s bad for you, and that the burning it causes will force their muscles to tire and give out.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Let’s take a look at what lactic acid is.  According to Jeff Galloway, ex-Olympic gold medalist and running expert, it is a fuel produced by the body that allows a burst of energy during the first half hour of hard workouts.  Glycogen is a form of sugar stored in the muscles for this quick energy.  When it is burned for fuel, it leaves behind lactic acid, which can cause discomfort if one does not endeavor to push back their lactic acid threshold.

According to Dr. Bruce Gladden, a professor of health and human performance at Auburn University, “Intense training can make a difference, because it can create double the mitochondrial mass.”  Mitochondrial is the energy factories in muscle cells that use up the lactic acid produced when glycogen is broken down for fuel.  According to Dr. Gladden’s theory as well as Galloway’s, one can train their bodies to become more efficient at increasing their mitochondria mass, thus building their tolerance to lactic acid, by working on their endurance. 

Running further distances, hill inclines and series of sprints will allow their bodies to burn more lactic acid, enabling their muscles to perform longer and harder.  These intense workouts in trained athletes are what make it possible for them to perform for long durations of time at seemingly incredible levels.  Simply put, they have trained their bodies to more readily absorb lactic acid.

Lactic acid begins to accumulate in the muscles of trained athletes as soon as they begin performing above their anaerobic threshold, usually between 80% and 90% of their maximum heart rate.  When lactic acid is produced, 65% of it is converted to carbon dioxide and water, 20% into glycogen, 10% into protein and 5% into glucose. 
The idea is to saturate the muscles with lactic acid in order to train them to perform despite the saturation.  Training for 20 to 25 minutes at 80% to 90% of your maximum heart rate will improve your lactic acid threshold.  These sessions should be carried out once a week for eight weeks leading up to strenuous events such as races, marathons, mud runs, duathlons and triathlons. 

How is lactic acid removed from the muscles?  The body automatically absorbs it within one hour following a workout.  But that time can be significantly reduced by engaging in a cool down that allows rapid and continuous supplies of oxygen to the muscles.

Image via Wikipedia

In short, the misnomers that lactic acid is bad for one’s body and will negatively affect their performance have been proven unwarranted, allowing trainers and athletes to embrace lactic acid as their friend not foe.