Are you back from the club right now and have severe muscle pain? If you are looking for the root cause of this pain, you should know that your body is producing lactic acid. In this article, we want to learn more about lactic acid. Stay with us.
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What is lactic acid?
Lactic acid is a by-product of the anaerobic chemical activity of cells. During this process, the body’s cells produce their energy without oxygen. When you start doing strenuous exercise, your body uses oxygen to break down glucose for energy, and if you do not have enough oxygen to break down glucose, lactic acid is produced, which can cause muscle pain or burning. You can rest your body to reduce lactic acid.
How do muscles make lactic acid during exercise?
During the day, the body burns energy aerobically, using oxygen. Part of this energy substance is glucose or sugar, which is broken down in a chemical reaction called glycolysis. The end product of glycolysis is another chemical called pyruvate to produce more energy.
When you exercise hard, this process changes and your muscles produce energy without oxygen, and pyruvate is converted to extra products, lactic acid, and transferred to your bloodstream. In this case, you feel pain and burning. To prevent muscle soreness caused by exercise, do the following:
- Drink plenty of water while exercising;
- Try taking a cold shower half an hour after exercise;
- Inhale and exhale properly during exercise;
- Eat foods like yogurt and kefir;
- Consume magnesium;
- Do stretching exercises before exercise to warm up and after exercise to cool down;
- Exercise as lightly as possible.
In what other ways is lactic acid produced?
The body’s muscles are not the only source of lactic acid, and in addition, red blood cells begin to produce lactic acid as we move.
Different species of bacteria in the body also breathe anaerobically, and lactic acid is ultimately their waste chemical product. According to studies, 0.01 to 1.8% of the human intestine is composed of these types of bacteria, and if you consume a lot of sugar and sweets, a lot of lactic acid is produced.
Another type of these bacteria live in our mouths and have an acidic effect on saliva and may damage tooth enamel. Lactic acid is also found in many foods, including fermented pickles and dairy products such as kefir, yogurt and buttermilk.
Lactic acid is the only cause of muscle spasm?
The feeling of muscle pain and burning after strenuous exercise with heavy weights is not just due to the production of lactic acid. The liver converts lactic acid to sugar again, and the heart converts it to pyruvate. When you do strenuous exercise, the concentration of lactic acid in your body increases and your heart and liver are not able to process and deal with waste products quickly, but the amount of lactic acid decreases immediately after you stop exercising. Another cause of muscle pain is muscle injuries and inflammation that goes away after a few days of rest.
Sometimes the concentration of lactic acid may increase and some people may not be able to process and remove it quickly, in which case the body of these people is producing lactic acid (lactic acidosis). This problem occurs for a variety of reasons, including:
- Heart failure;
- Severe infection;
- Shock;
- Diabetes;
- Liver disease;
- Kidney failure;
- Inflammation.
Common symptoms of overproduction of lactic acid in the body
If you know you have excessive lactic acid production or have any of the following symptoms, you should go to the emergency room right away.
- Difficulty breathing;
- Yellowing of the skin;
- Abdominal pain;
- Nausea or vomiting;
- Diarrhea;
- Headache;
- Confused;
- Feeling confused;
- Body weakness;
How to treat excessive production of lactic acid?
After a blood test, your doctor will detect the concentration of lactic acid in your body and then prescribe medication based on it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lactic Acid
1. Is lactic acid good for the skin?
Yes. Lactic acid acts as a strong exfoliator and kills dead skin cells. People with oily and acne-prone skin can clear their pores with lactic acid.
2. In which skin products is lactic acid found?
Lactic acid is found in a wide range of skin care products, including:
Skin serums;
Lotions;
worms;
Masks;
Skin cleansers.
These products contain a significant amount of lactic acid, which is good for the skin. It is best to test for allergies before using products containing lactic acid.
3. How does a severe infection cause high lactic acid?
All bacteria can cause severe infections in the body, which in turn reduces the amount of oxygen and disrupts the production and excretion of lactic acid.
4. Does cancer increase lactic acid concentration?
Yes. Lactic acid is made very quickly in the body of cancer patients.
Concluding remarks
Heavy exercise causes the body to produce lactic acid. It is better not to take it hard and consider the muscular pains of your body after exercise as a kind of warning. By following some tips, you can reduce your body’s lactic acid and prevent muscle soreness. People with certain diseases may have excessive concentrations of lactic acid. It is better to know the amount of lactic acid in your body by testing.
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Have you ever experienced muscle soreness after exercise? What have you done to treat these pains? Please share your opinion with us and dear users
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