Is It Possible to Get Rid of Lactic Acid in Your Muscles?

Lactic acid was once believed to be the cause of sore muscles after exercise. It’s not. Another substance, lactate, contributes. However, what causes muscle burn and pain is more complex. Staying hydrated and resting muscles may helIf you participate in high intensity interval training or similar intense exercise, you’ve probably felt the intense burn in your muscles that often comes with this type of activity.

This burning sensation is frequently attributed to lactic acid buildup. For years, recreational and competitive athletes have assumed that, in order to increase performance, they have to minimize lactic acid in their bodies. However, this notion is falsThat’s right: Lactic acid is not the cause of the burn during intense exercise, nor is it responsible for the persistent soreness that may last from hours to days following intense exercise.

What’s more, exercise physiologists are continuing to study the complexities of what we’ve traditionally called “lactic acid buildup.” As it turns out, this term is a misnomer, because the metabolic byproduct of intense exercise is actually lactatNevertheless, lactic acid and its associated molecule lactate are key compounds that play a role in metabolism, especially during intense exercise. Understanding their role in your fitness will help you perform better in your chosen athletic pursuits.

This article breaks down everything you need to know about lactate, lactic acid, and exercise, including what they do, how they’re produced, and whether it’s necessary or possible to get rid of lactic acidIgor Alecsander/Getty ImagIs lactic acid the cause of muscle burn and fatiguThe answer, in short, is noMuscle burn and fatigue was traditionally attributed to lactic acidosis, which was thought to be the overabundance of lactic acid building up in the muscles when oxygen was

low, such as during intense bouts of heavy exercisResearchers have since discovered that lactic acid doesn’t actually exist in our bodies, because our blood pH level is too high (1Instead, within metabolic processes, the lactic acid molecule is separated into two parts: lactate and a singular hydrogen ion (also known as a proton) (2).