For years runners have thought about lactic acid as the cause for stiffening and soreness of muscles. Some treatments have been stretching and massaging the muscles along with rest and recovery to get all of the lactic acid out of the runner’s blood. However, recent studies have shown that this is not the case. Lactic Acid may have been getting a bad rap this whole time! Our society is always so quick to judge.
Actually, lactic acid doesn’t exist as an acid in the body at all, but exists in another form called “lactate.” Lactate is measured in the blood to determine “lactic acid” concentrations. So lactic acid really isn’t a substance in your blood stream. Even so, this substance was blamed for soreness and stiffness in muscles which is actually due to the small damages and micro tears we do to our muscles while running. In fact, lactate is released from the muscles, then converted in the liver to glucose to be used as an energy source. Lactate is actually good for you! Lactate is actually produced at all times of the day, even during rest periods, so the overuse of your muscles running didn’t bring on the lactate, resting did. I guess rest and recovery aren’t the best ways to avoid lactic acid, not that lactate is a bad thing. You should love lactate.
Don’t you feel bad now for all those horrible things you used to say about lactic acid? Don’t worry about it. Go for a run, it’ll make you body feel a lot better.