Each athlete, during intense training, felt a burning sensation in the muscles due to the acceleration of the synthesis of lactic acid. Find out the accumulation of lactic acid - good or bad. Very often, novice athletes attribute their training failures to lactic acid. This mainly occurs with severe fatigue, respiratory rhythm disturbances or convulsions. Although to date, there is no evidence of an implication of the negative aspects of lactic acid described above. Let's try to deal with the question: the accumulation of lactic acid? good or bad.
Why does the body need lactic acid?
Scientists have established that lactic acid is the main source of energy during exercise. Thanks to this substance, the body is provided with the necessary amount of energy for carbohydrate metabolism, wound healing, and glycogen synthesis. All of these factors are very important to get the most out of your training. We can say that lactic acid is a defense mechanism against stress.
Each process in the body carries both positive and negative aspects for the athlete. It was found that lactic acid decomposes into hydrogen and lactate ions. Scientists suggest that the main task of hydrogen ions is to change the signals in muscle tissues, which subsequently leads to a decrease in muscle contraction. Probably, it is hydrogen ions that cause muscle burning. In turn, phosphates and potassium ions can cause increased fatigue. Lactic acid prevents the buildup of these substances.
A large number of experiments have shown that with intense training, a large amount of lactic acid accumulates in muscle tissues. However, despite popular belief, lactate is very beneficial for the athlete's body. These substances are fuel that starts working almost instantly and it is lactate that is used to a greater extent by the heart and muscles during physical exertion.
Thus, we can say that lactate does not harm the athlete, but, on the contrary, is necessary for effective training. It is enough to study lactic acid a little more broadly and the opinion about it quickly changes to the opposite. If you make the most of the capabilities of this substance, then the body will always be provided with energy. Now we can say that the accumulation of lactic acid is good, not bad.
Lactic acid formation process
Lactic acid is a metabolite of glucose, which is the main source of carbohydrates. It has long been known that this nutrient is very important for the functioning of the central nervous system and the brain. Glucose is no less valuable for muscles. In muscle tissue cells, glucose is broken down and then adenosine triphosphate, better known as ATP, is synthesized. This substance acts as a source of energy for a large number of processes, including the work of muscles. The more ATP is accumulated in the tissues, the more work the muscles can do. Oxygen is not involved in the synthesis of lactic acid and for this reason this reaction is also called anaerobic metabolism. ATP with the participation of lactate is synthesized in a small amount, but this process is rapid. For this reason, it can be argued that it is able to ideally cover almost all the body's needs with high-intensity training.
Lactic acid is always formed after glucose breakdown reactions. The body uses fat cells as a source of fuel only when working with weights exceeding the maximum or at complete rest. Most training programs involve an intensity of about 65%, in which case energy is derived from carbohydrates. The more of this nutrient the athlete consumes, the more lactic acid will be synthesized.
Participation of lactic acid in metabolic reactions
Lactic acid is used as an intermediary for the chemical reactions required for the body to process carbohydrates. In the stomach, carbohydrates are converted into glucose and, as such, end up in the bloodstream, which delivers them to the liver. However, a small part of the synthesized glucose reaches the liver. Most of the substance ends up in the muscle tissues and there it is converted into lactic acid. Once again in the blood, lactic acid enters the liver, where it becomes a raw material for the synthesis of glycogen.
It should be noted that the method described above for producing glycogen is used more often. Most of the glycogen in the body was obtained in this way. Muscle fibers constantly not only synthesize lactic acid, but also use it for their own purposes. Due to the acidity level of the blood, one can judge the balance of the synthesis and consumption of lactic acid. With an increase in blood acidity, we can say that the rate of consumption of lactic acid has fallen. As you can see from all of the above, lactic acid is a source of energy and athletes should learn to use this substance with maximum efficiency.
With high physical exertion, muscles, including the respiratory and heart, are mainly used for energy from lactic acid. When exercising at high intensity, lactate consumption increases significantly, while glucose consumption decreases.
In this regard, it should be noted that the heart does not use glucose at all for energy. Lactic acid works faster, and the heart needs to satisfy its energy needs as soon as possible. Surely most readers already know the answer to the question: is the accumulation of lactic acid good or bad? But still, let's summarize.
Lactic acid is a fast energy source that athletes need to get the results they want. As soon as lactic acid has been synthesized from carbohydrates, being in the bloodstream, the substance almost instantly begins to be consumed by the body. If athletes can learn to use lactate for their own purposes, then the effectiveness of the training will increase significantly.
Learn more about lactic acid in this video:
[media =
