|
|
|
Immunity and The Athlete
SPORTS NUTRITION
© Patricia Niland 2005
To realise potential, it is vital that an athlete has the ability to train consistently. Successful training, over time, builds a stronger, faster, more efficient body which will hopefully go on to produce...
Is Pilates, a New Fitness Trend, Right for You?
When you talk about joining a gym, the first thing that comes to mind is, "What kind of yoga or Pilates classes do they have there?" Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that focuses on stretching and balancing, in finding peace and in strengthening...
Snowboarding Reaches Critical Mass at Slopes.
Snowboarding Reaches Critical Mass at Slopes.
More and more kids will be navigating the mountainside on snowboards, not skis, according to the third annual TransWorld Snowboarding Business/National Ski Areas Association survey, released in...
That's a home run!
Its a Hit!
Baseball is a favorite game of the Americans. No wonder it is the national sport of the United States of America. No one can say with much certainty when this game originated but according to some accounts it is said to have begun...
The Tour de France, the Worlds biggest road bikes race
The Tour de France is the BIG one; it's the World cup and the
Olympics all in one. It has it all, the high mountains, the wind
swept northern planes and the heat of the south. It also has the
world's media, all the top teams and riders and...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
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!
|
|
|
|
|
|