How does lactic acid affect the body

The way to reduce the production of lactic acid is to increase your physical fitness so that it takes longer for your body to get to that point.

Over time, and with proper progression and consistent training, you find that your stamina has increased, and you can train harder for longer periods. Internally what happens is that your body can continue to produce the energy that you need for longer periods before oxygen is no longer sufficiently supplied to the cells and lactic acid is formed. Lactic acid and lactate are sometimes used interchangeably even though they are technically different.

Lactic acid is the joining of lactate with a hydrogen ion. Lactate, it turns out, helps us out by getting recycled back into our system to provide energy for our muscles! As a rule for exercise: the more intense the exercise is, the more recovery time you will need. Using strength training as an example, a set of 15 squats using a pair of pound dumbbells will require less recovery time than the same person doing a set of 5 squats using a pair of pound dumbbells.

See Active Recovery Workouts for some great ideas on how to break up lactic acid. Additionally, as your fitness improves, it will take you longer to get to the point where lactic acid is formed and your body runs out of energy to perform.

Kinsey Mahaffey, MPH, is a Houston-based fitness educator, personal trainer and health coach who developed her commitment to lifelong fitness while playing Division I volleyball.

What is Lactic Acid? What does lactic acid do? When is it Produced? This alteration can result in severe health complications. Lactic acidosis is also a rare side effect of some HIV medications. Anyone who thinks they have lactic acidosis or nonexercise-induced hyperlactatemia should speak to a doctor straightaway.

A doctor will usually carry out a blood test to check levels of lactate in the blood. In some cases, they may ask the person not to eat, drink, or exercise for several hours before the test.

If the tests detect lactic acidosis, the doctor will work to diagnose and treat its underlying cause. Treatment will allow the body to dispose of the lactic acid in the usual way. The body makes lactic acid when it is low in the oxygen it needs to convert glucose into energy. Lactic acid buildup can result in muscle pain, cramps, and muscular fatigue.

These symptoms are typical during strenuous exercise and are not usually anything to worry about as the liver breaks down any excess lactate. Staying hydrated and breathing deeply during exercise can help to prevent exercise-induced hyperlactatemia.

Without treatment, lactic acidosis can result in serious health complications. Cardiovascular exercises and weight training help with weight loss. Learn more about how each one burns calories and which is best. Keeping track of heart rate while running can help people maximize their fitness or weight loss goals. Learn about heart rate zones, safe levels, and….

Respiratory acidosis develops when air exhaled out of the lungs does not adequately exchange the carbon dioxide formed in the body for the inhaled…. A look at how long it takes to build muscle by working out. Metabolic acidosis. Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Seifter JL. Acid-base disorders. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Exercise can cause a temporary increase in lactic acid levels.

You may feel slight pain or a sting when the needle is inserted. You may also feel some throbbing at the site after the blood is drawn. Normal results range from 4. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.

The examples above show the common measurements for results for these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens.

Clenching the fist or having the elastic band in place for a long time while having blood drawn can result in a false increase in lactic acid level.

Odom SR, Talmor D.