Lactic acid buildup is one of the main reasons why you cannot sustain a high-intensity activity for a more than 20 to 30 seconds, according to Vern Gambetta, author of "Athletic Development." Such activities include sprinting and vertical jumping. As your body adapts to high-intensity exercise, your ability to endure the exercise increases and your muscle-recovery time decreases. This involves a combination of different chemical and physiological processes.
Anaerobic Metabolism
Anaerobic metabolism is an energy-producing process in your body that does not require oxygen. According to Gambetta, the process uses glucose as the primary source of fuel. Lactic acid is a byproduct produced by pyruvate, an organic compound made by glucose metabolism and a key component to energy production.
According to Gambetta, anaerobic metabolism produces energy rapidly, resulting in large power outputs. The duration of exercise is very brief because your body produces more lactic acid than it can remove from your tissues, which causes a decrease of power production and speed. When you rest after high-intensity exercise, the oxygen that you are taking in your body helps remove the excess lactic acid, allowing you to recover and perform another bout of high-intensity exercise. The lactic acid is sent back to your liver and gets converted to glucose.
EPOC
High-intensity exercise produces a condition called excess post-oxygen consumption--or EPOC--where your body has a sudden increase in metabolism after high-intensity exercise. According to Jason Karp, an exercise physiologist based in San Diego, California, this "after-burn" feeling is where your body is undergoing a recovery state to replenish energy for your cells, lower body temperature and balance your hormones. This process can last between 30 minutes and several hours after exercise, using primarily fat as a source of energy.
Warning
When your blood-sugar level drops after a workout, your body seeks ways to replenish sugar to fuel your nervous system and other cells. According to Karp, if you do not eat a meal after a workout, your body will use protein from your own muscles to form glucose. This causes you to lose lean body mass and decrease your metabolism.
Recovery
Recovery between exercise sessions is just as important as what you are doing during training. According to Ellen Coleman, a registered dietitian based in Riverside, California, always eat a small meal consisting of lean protein and carbohydrates after a workout. Always keep yourself well-hydrated during and after training to prevent your blood from thickening, which causes lower blood flow and volume.
Never do any activities after a strenuous workout session. After doing heavy total-body weight training for 90 minutes, do not hike on the same day. This decreases your muscle-recovery time and damages joints and tissues.
Misconceptions
According to Karp, lactic acid does not cause the burning sensation in your muscles nor does it cause muscle soreness. The soreness comes from the microscopic tears in your muscle produced from exercise. Within 30 minutes after exercise, excessive lactic acid is sent back to the liver. Muscle soreness increases within a 24-hour period after exercise. By that time, any lactic acid remaining in your muscle would have been long gone.
References
- PTontheNet: Recovery for Endurance Sports
- "Athletic Development"; Vern Gambetta; 2006
- PTontheNet: My Love Affair with Lactate
- "Ultimate Sports Nutrition"; Ellen Coleman; 2004
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