When working out for a high level of repetitions at a high intensity, two things can happen. First, you will notice burning sensations in the muscles being trained; that is lactic acid. After finishing your exercise, your muscles will be engorged. This is known as "the pump" and is a result of several factors, including lactic acid. Bodybuilders try to achieve "the pump" during workouts, before competition and to achieve chronic hypertrophy.
Hypertrophy
There are two types of hypertrophy that can occur: transient and chronic. Transient hypertrophy is the temporary pumped-up feeling in the muscles that last 30 minutes to two hours after your workout. This results from fluid accumulation, or edema, in the interstitial and intracellular spaces of the muscle, according to Jack H. Wilmore and David L. Costill, authors of "Physiology of Sport and Exercise." Chronic hypertrophy is an increase in muscle size resulting from long-term resistance training.
Lactic Acid
Lactic acid buildup occurs as a result of the anaerobic glycolysis energy system. This energy system is predominant in the first one or two minutes of high-intensity or high-repetition exercise -- usually eight to 12 repetitions. The lactic acid buildup in the muscles causes a decrease in intensity of the exercise, so the pH balance can be restored to normal.
The Connection
During high-intensity exercise, blood rushes to the working muscles from the other areas of the body, such as the intestines, to provide oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. Blood will enter faster than the waste products -- such as lactic acid -- are removed, thus overloading your muscles with fluid and giving you "the pumped" feeling. Additionally, high lactic acid levels can also signal hormones and nitric oxide to be released, causing local capillaries in the muscle to dilate, thereby allowing more blood to flow into the muscle.
Results
When muscles are continually subjected to being pumped up over time, they will grow. In order for muscle growth to occur, the muscle first must be overloaded, resulting in an increase in blood flow and nutrients to the muscles, necessary for growth and muscle repair. This increased blood volume also causes new capillaries to form and better handle the blood volume, as well as stretching the fascial layer -- found between the skin and muscle -- to make room for muscle growth.
References
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise"; Jack H. Wilmore and David L. Costill; 2004
- Bodybuilding: The Importance of the Pump
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