Monday, April 11, 2011

Lactic Acid Friend or Foe?

Good day,

Today I want to talk about lactic acid and how it works in the body. Lactic acid is always getting blamed for many things while working out such as throwing up, muscle cramps, fatigue, distressed breathing, the burning sensation that you get in your last few reps, and muscle soreness coming a day or so after a great workout.
What you probably don't know is that lactic acid actually provides energy, helps use dietary carbs, speeds wound healing processes, and also serves as a fuel for liver production of glucose and glycogen.
Glucose and glycogen are critical in exercise and without lactic acid would not be readily available.
The amount of carbs you burn through in a tough workout dictates the amount of lactic acid produced.
When we use carbs as a fuel source we produce lactate which is used as fuel by our bodies. Lactic acid is actually our friend and is an important fuel during working out but also when resting.
Lactate is the preferred fuel source in tissues such as the heart and slow-twitch skeletal muscle fibres.

So, remember that although we really FEEL the effects of lactic acid during and especially after a tough workout, we need it in our quest for a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Cheers,

Bouncelife

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