Hot Body Training

I’m sure that most of you are familiar with the notion that lactic acid is responsible for the muscle burning sensation you get when you work your muscles hard. You know those guys in the gym shouting ‘feel the burn baby, just one more rep’ at the top of their lungs? That’s the burning I’m talking about. Anyway, I’m here to bust this lactic acid myth. It’s not lactic acid that is responsible for the burn, it’s a process called acidosis.

So how is this going to help you get a hot body? The short answer is it’s not, but I thought you might be interested anyway and it kind of builds on the concepts regarding Energy Systems that I wrote about in Extreme Fat Loss: The Secret To Burning Fat Fast

Energy Systems: Oxygen Independent Glycolytic System
To recap, this energy system produces ATP energy, the energy used by the body, for bouts of activity lasting around 30-60 seconds. It produces this energy by partially breaking down glucose from your muscles, liver and bloodstream. However, because it’s only a partial breakdown, there is still energy left over after production of the ATP energy.

What is lactic acid then?
The energy left over in the muscle after the production of ATP is called lactate, or more commonly referred to as lactic acid. During intense exercise, this lactic is produced faster than is can be removed from the muscles. It is commonly believed that lactic acid is responsible for muscle fatigue or soreness during exercise. This thinking is incorrect and the lactic acid can actually be beneficial.

Just say no to drugs!

One of the ways in which it is removed from the muscles is by oxidation to something called pyruvate, which then fuels another system called The Crebs Cycle and in turn is converted into glucose via the Cori cycle by a process called gluconeogenesis.

If that was a bit too much of a mouthful, what it essentially means is that the lactate production can help to produce more ATP via its conversion to glucose.

So why do my muscles hurt then?
The muscle fatigue is caused by a separate reaction called acidosis. When ATP energy is broken down, hydrogen ions are released, which decreases the pH of the muscle making is more acidic. This results in muscle fatigue and decreased performance.

Ascorbic Acid, not citric acid. Photo: Paul Bodea

So there you have it. Next time somebody spurts of about lactic acid, you can look like a real brainiac and put them in their place!