For some people, they need the sore muscles after a workout to know that they’ve done an excellent job exercising. In fact, there are people who aren’t happy if they are not sore from their workout. Either way, you’ve probably experienced it one way or another. But did you know that that is not always a good thing?
When working out, you need to avoid overexerting yourself. This can result in injury and buildup of lactic acid in the muscles. This buildup, in turn, leads to painful and sore muscles. It is important to know how you can avoid or prevent the accumulation of lactic acid in the future.
A lactic buildup in muscles is often temporary. It doesn’t cause a lot of concern, but it can cause significant discomfort. But what exactly is lactic acid?
Technically, the body does produce lactic acid which disassociates into lactate and free hydrogen ion. Basically, when you overexert yourself, your muscles would need more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a usable fuel, than it would if your body is at rest.
What is ATP?
Basically, what happens is that your body takes in food, breaks it down, and then converts this into fuel. This entire process happens with or without oxygen, but ATP is produced quicker without oxygen.
Your body requires fast fuel when you’re exercising; the muscles resort to using aerobic metabolism (which needs oxygen) to anaerobic metabolism (which doesn’t need oxygen). That’s where the lactic acid comes in.
Your body has too much lactic acid when you produce more than the clearance rate. This, in turn, can result into a buildup which can throw off your body’s pH levels. The hydrogen ion that comes with lactate changes the acidity of the environment. This creates that burning sensation you get when you do rapid leg exercises.
It is that buildup of oxygen in the form of – for a lack of better word – lactic acid that causes this god-awful burning. It is the acidity that causes the burning sensation. Fortunately, this does not cause long-term discomfort. It doesn’t stay in the blood for long as well. But it can affect your workout because it can cause significant amount of discomfort. So, how do you get rid of lactic acid from your muscles?
Do You Have Lactic Acid Buildup?
Basically, when lactic acid builds up, your muscles will feel tired or fatigued and slightly sore. There are other symptoms as well. These symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, weakness, soreness, cramping, burning sensation in the muscles, shallow breathing, shortness of breath, cramps, tingling, numbness, jaundice. If these symptoms persist, you may be experiencing lactic acidosis which can be a serious condition.
If your symptoms are severe or persist, it may a sign of lactic acidosis. This condition can become serious. See your doctor if your suspect lactic acidosis.
How to Get Rid of Lactic Acid Buildup?
Stay hydrated at all times.
Make sure you are staying hydrated before, during, and after an exercise, particularly a strenuous one. Proper hydration is essential when you work out because it replenishes any lost fluids, minimizes or reduces lactic acid buildup, help the body create energy, relieve sore muscles, prevent cramps, assist your body in performing at an optimal level. Make sure to drink at least eight glasses a day, and increase this amount when you exercise.
Rest between exercises
While exercising regularly can help you become consistent, you need enough rest between workouts to improve your muscle recovery. This gives your body the chance to remove excess lactic acid in between strenuous workouts. Make sure to have at least one full day of rest every week. It will be okay to do some light exercises, but make sure to minimize your movement.
Improve your breathing technique
Make sure to get into the habit of improving your breathing using breathing techniques and exercises. This helps increase athletic performance as well. Inhale slowly through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Retain your breath for a few seconds after you inhale if you feel comfortable doing this. You can also get in the habit of doing these exercises in order to increase your lung capacity which would help improve your performance. Practice them while working out or even as you go about your daily activities. This will help deliver oxygen to every part of your body particularly your muscles so that it will prevent lactic acid buildup.
Perform warm-up exercises
Before you actually start your exercise routine, make sure to warm up and stretch your muscles first. Doing some light exercises in the morning and evening can help loosen up your muscles. Your muscles will love you for them. This helps stimulate circulation. It improves flexibility and relieves muscle tension. This helps deliver more oxygen to your muscles.
Increase magnesium intake
Make sure to take magnesium supplements or eat foods rich in magnesium to help prevent muscle soreness and spasms. This will also help improve food breakdown and energy production, so more oxygen will reach your muscles when you exercise. Magnesium has a positive effect on athletic performance. This helps reduce the buildup of lactic acid. So, increase your intake of nuts, legumes, leafy vegetables. You will notice a boost in energy levels and less muscle soreness after exercise.
Drink more orange juice
Try to drink a glass of orange juice before you do workouts. Add this to your pre-workout activities. It will help reduce lactic acid levels in your body and help improve your performance. In a small study conducted over 26 middle-aged women, it was discovered that women who drink orange juice before doing their exercises experience less muscle fatigue. They also showed lower levels of lactic acid and improved physical performance. They also showed a lowered risk of cardiovascular diseases. Researchers believed that this is due to the intake of vitamin C and folate before exercise.
Don’t overexert yourself with new routines
Don’t push yourself too hard when you start a new routine or change an existing one. Make sure to go about it gradually. Increase the intensity and duration slowly over a period of time. Let your body get comfortable with the new workout before you test it for endurance and strength. You need to train your body gradually to perform at higher intensities in order to maintain proper lactic acid levels. This does not happen overnight. It takes time to develop.
You need to have a consistent approach, and you need to be patient because it takes time to develop. Eventually, your body will adjust to these new routines and will have more energy. You will feel less discomfort.
Make sure to vary your workout as much as possible. Don’t do aerobic exercises all the time. Make sure to do anaerobic exercise. Walk, run, or swim while you perform shorter-intensity weightlifting, sprinting, or jumping. This helps your body adjust as you perform different kinds of exercises. It reduces the risks of injuries.
Fill up before you exercise
A balanced diet which includes lean meats, whole grains, and fresh veggies before a workout will help reduce lactic acid buildup. You also need to fill up on foods that are rich in vitamin B, potassium and fatty acids. Eating meals before working out will help prevent muscle soreness. It will boost your energy levels. Make sure to fill up on complex carbs as well like beans, grains, or vegetables a few hours before you hit the tracks or do your workout. Fill up on fresh fruits or simple carbs half an hour before you exercise. Have a healthy snack after exercising. Some healthy protein will benefit your body greatly.
Use an Industrial Grade Muscle Power Massager
This is a smart and fast way to relieve muscle soreness. You can train harder and recover faster with this muscle massager. It can relieve muscular pains and increase muscle performance. It is portable so that you can bring it with you anywhere. This is recommended by leading athletes, coaches, physiotherapist, and other fitness professionals because it really helps sooth the muscles after a hard workout. You will experience faster recovery which will then help you train harder and better next time without getting hurt.
This power massager will help relieve your injuries, pains, and soreness. It will help improve your performance ten times! You will be able to perform better with harder workouts. Since it is portable, you can bring it with you anywhere. It can do over 2500 strokes per minute, and it can perform a variety of massages.
Lactic acid can cause soreness or muscle fatigue. Curiously, this is your body’s way of protecting itself from harm. It is a reminder that you need to slow down. You need to take it easy. You need to take measures in order to reduce and manage lactic acid buildup in your muscles. Developing healthy habits for daily life is important. You need a better exercise program.
Make sure to consult with your healthcare provider before you start a new workout routine especially if it’s a difficult one. Discuss with your doctor symptoms of pain or discomfort after exercising that doesn’t ease after a few days. Consult with your doctor if the symptoms are unusual or severe.