The Lactic Acid Myth

For years now, you could walk into a gym and hear an idiot PT/Strength Coach shouting “feel the burn”, and then proceeding to tell their clients/athletes that the reason why their muscles hurt during and after a workout, is because of lactic acid. Now, the majority of those trainers have yet to read a single study on the reasons for muscle soreness and the onset of fatigue during a workout, which unfortunately for them, means they are automatically put into large group of ignorant trainers who think they can get by in the fitness industry by not thinking for themselves, or progressing.

Its not all bad news for the idiots though. In past research, it has been stated that during higher intensities and higher workloads there is more lactate that builds up in the blood.  Simply put; the harder and longer you workout for (at high intensity) the more lactate will build up.

Eventually, and recently, research has allowed us to realise that this is definitely not true, and lactic acid does not even exist in body in any useful amounts. To most definitely stamp out the idiot trainers comments, scientists have found that the lactate that is produced during a workout is gone within an hour; so stating that lactic acid is the reason for DOMS is ignorant.

I can hear a faint whisper…… the whisper of uneducated trainers…… “If its not lactic acid, what is it?”

Well, brace yourself, I’m going to get all sciencey on your ass!! During the bodies breakdown of glucose into lactate there is a production of hydrogen ions (H+). It is this production of H+ that lowers the pH of the cell, and hinders muscular contraction. Its has nothing to do with lactate or lactic acid, but rather the production of hydrogen ions which follows the same chemical pathway as lactate.  I would forgive those trainers for believing the lactic acid myth, due to the fact that the hydrogen ions follow the same pathway as lactate, hence the correlation between lactate accumulation and fatigue.

On the complete flip side to this myth, scientists have found that the production of lactate (NOT lactic acid) may actually prevent the onset of fatigue. Some research has shown that lactate (NOT lactic acid… I will keep saying this until you get the point) is the energy bridge between an athletes anaerobic and aerobic systems.

Hopefully by now, you may be starting to realise that you shouldn’t believe everything you read or hear. Don’t believe me if you don’t want to, but at least read some research and create your own ideas. The way I’m thinking, we need to move on from thoughts born in the 80’s and 90’s. The affects of lactate and H+ is a topic which few trainers know much about!

So please, if your one of these trainers… stop wielding the lactic acid myth around as loosely as an aging working woman.

Until next time

Stay Strong