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A Guide to College Baseball Bats
In the mid 1850s, when baseball was in its infancy, players made their own bats. They experimented with flat bats, round bats, and heavy bats. They ultimately discovered that the barrel shaped bat was the most effective. Today, college baseball bats...

Beat the bookies
BEATING THE BOOKIES BETTING TIPS AND TRICKS You are free to sell, give away and distribute this e-book in anyway as long as it is not altered This ebook has been created to give you an insight how the bookies work and make there profits....

Selecting the Right Climbing Gear: Harness
A climbing harness attaches you to your climbing rope, so it's important that you know what harness you will need for the type of climbing you’ll be doing. Your harness should fit your body shape for comfort and safety. There are three general...

The Origins of Baseball.
No one knows for sure where baseball exacted originated. However, most baseball buffs will concur that the sport is based on the English game of rounders. In the United States, baseball became popular in the early 1800's, originally known as...

Why Coach Soccer? And How To Have Fun.
Warren Buffet might not know soccer, but when he said, "Tell me your heroes and I'll tell you how your life will end up", he was onto something. When it comes to coaching, everyone wants a say but few are willing to turn their words into...

 
5 Little Known Facts About Lactic Acid

Everybody knows that lactic acid accumulates when we exercise at a high intensity, but there is much more to lactate than that. It plays an integral role in many of the body's metabolic processes.

1. Lactic Acid is Always Present
It's always being produced. At rest your lactic acid levels will be about 1 millimoles/liter (mmol/L). As exercise intensity increases so does the production of lactic acid. It's not until you pass your anaerobic threshold that it reduces your efficiency. For most people this is approximately 4 mmol/L, or 70-80% of their VO2max.

2. Not Just Oxygen Deficiency
It is commonly thought that it is the lack of oxygen that causes the increased production of lactic acid. Whilst it is a contributing factor, it is the absence of the "carrier molecules" NAD (nicotinomide adenine dinucleotide) and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide) that have a much greater effect. They play the important role of transporting hydrogen into the cells for use in the production of energy. If they are not around, the hydrogen joins with pyruvate to produce lactic acid.

3. Lactic Acid as Fuel
Lactic acid is usually removed from the muscle tissue within 30 minutes after exercise. It is used by liver, heart, and kidney as a source of energy. The liver can also convert it back into glucose, where it is released into the bloodstream for muscle use. It can also be converted into glycogen for storage.

4.


Fatigue and Lactic Acid
Most people know that increases in lactic acid causes a decrease in your ability to perform but few actually know how this occurs.
Firstly, you'll have a decrease in energy. The increase in hydrogen reduces the production of ATP (energy) by inhibiting key ezymes involved in its production.
Secondly, your muscles won't be able to contract as often or with as much force. For a muscle to contract we need calcium to attach itself to binding sites within the muscle. The more calcium attached, the more forceful the contraction. The problem occurs because hydrogen competes with calcium for bindings sites.

5. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is the pain you feel in the muscle 24-48 hours after exercise. It was once thought that lactic acid caused this but it has now been proven wrong.
It's the excessive mechanical force which results in damage to the muscle or connective tissue. The body responds by repairing it and this stimulates sensory nerve endings which results in pain. This is why it usually occurs when you first start an exercise program, or when you train at an unusually high intensity.
About the Author
Ray Kelly has a degree in Exercise Science and has worked in the fitness industry for 15 years. For more information on health and fitness, go to: Fitness, Weight Loss, and Heart Attacks!

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