• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Science / What Is the Best Way To Speed Up Elimination Of Lactic Acid That Builds Up In Muscles With Exercise?

What Is the Best Way To Speed Up Elimination Of Lactic Acid That Builds Up In Muscles With Exercise?

March 26, 2020 by Karen Hill

According to exercise physiologists, there are ways to accelerate elimination of the lactic acid that builds up in muscles.

Lactic acid is removed most effectively from muscle by having an active recovery period, like walking after running, rather than a passive recovery, like lying down after the end of exercise.

Lactic acid is a product of the metabolism of glucose sugar used for energy.

Even at rest the process of production and removal goes on. At the beginning of mild exercise, the rate of production is equal to the rate of removal.

As the intensity increases, the requirement for energy becomes very high, and the production rate exceeds the removal rate.

The lactic acid builds up, possibly contributing to the “burn” many exercisers experience. Lactic acid also builds up in nonworking muscles, the arms of a runner, for example, and in the blood.

Most of the lactic acid is eventually oxidized, or burned up, but some of it is converted into other substances by a process called gluconeogenesis.

It can be turned into pyruvate, another sugar that is a precursor of protein when combined with amino acids. Both oxidation and gluconeogenesis can continue during recovery from exercise.

Lactic acid does not produce the delayed soreness many people feel a day or so after exercise.

What causes that is not certain, but it may be the result of small tears in the muscle.

Related Facts

  • What Causes Sore Muscles, Stiffness, Aches and Pains the Day After Prolonged Running or Exercise?
  • What Is the Difference Between Raw Sugar and Refined Sugar?
  • Who Discovered Metabolism and How do chemical reactions turn sugars into energy inside a cell?
  • What Does Entropy Mean and Where Does Entropy Come From?
  • Where Does Corn Syrup Come From and How Is Corn Syrup Made?
  • What Makes Things Happen and Where Does Entropy Come From?

Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Can I Do If My Boyfriend, Girlfriend, or Spouse Is Allergic To My Cat and Can I Keep Both?
Next Post: How Is It Bad To Smoke Three Or Four Cigarettes a Day How Are Cigarettes Harmful To Your Health? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy