How to Get Rid of Lactic Acid Fast
What is lactic acid?
Lactic acid is one of the most common scientific terms people encounter when they talk about exercise and working out. Professionals say that lactic acids build up in the muscles, such as in legs or in calves, as people proceed through the exercise process. Essentially, the lactic acid build-up is said to lead to the fatigue or “burn” they experience while and after working out—which leaves their muscles strained, unable to move or stretch for a number of days, or in some cases: doms in legs. As such, it can be concluded that acid is public enemy number 1 for muscle sets and exercise routines; coincidentally, it is also used as a destructive acid for laryngitis.
This information, however, is inaccurate and misleading, which may lead to misinformed ways on how to get rid of lactic acid fast. Scientific research states that lactic acid is not actually produced when muscles are strained or tired because of workout regimen; lactic acid is there all along. In fact, lactate should be used when it comes to workout lactic acid.
What this means is that lactate is a part of the carbohydrate breakdown process of the meals—where the pyruvite and the lactate must achieve a proper equilibrium in order to function properly. During a workout process, the pyruvite gradually decreases, which inevitably leads to the need for more and more lactate. The achievement of this equilibrium to maintain the proper working condition of the body is crucial; thus, the production of more lactate as biologically designed is justified. But this also means that knowing how to get rid of lactic acid means a better exercise regimen.
With this set straight, it is now time to see what to do on how to get rid of lactic acid as well as reduce or control its build-up during workout.
Controlling lactic acid levels during workout:
Tip #1: Warm-ups
The build-up of lactic acid in the body is a result of the inability of the body to use its energy efficiently and effectively thus leading to a lot of wasted energy and cell power. This leads to easier fatigue muscle soreness. This means that for the body to be able to use its energy accordingly—spending it wisely and allocating cell energy properly to achieve optimal exercise-lactic acid ration—one must have a warm-up regimen before any strenuous physical activity.
A lot of athletes take 15 to 30-minute warm-up sessions as they aim to avoid injuries, cramps, and soreness in their muscles during the exercise process. What warms-ups do to the body is that they prepare the muscles and the cells of the body for large bursts of energy. In one way or another, warming up is a kind of “waking the cells and muscles up” for a safe and optimal exercise.
As the muscles become adjusted to the type of physical activity it will execute, it will not be forcibly stretched and prematurely drawn to a strenuous activity—rather, it will be calibrated and prepared for strength and endurance. As such, knowing how to get rid of lactic acid teaches how acid build-up in body will essentially slow down because the consumption of the pyruvite is lowered due to efficient energy management of the cells; and it is all because of warming up.
Tip #:2 drinking a lot of fluids
It is important to know that a means on how to get rid of lactic acid is noting that one property of lactic acid is its water solubility. Since the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles causes the burning sensation—a warning system of the body that the muscles group is being subjected to extreme pressure beyond its capability—it is also a reminder for the body to stay hydrated. Ironic as it may sound; the “burn” experience when working out is doused by drinking water.
Tip #3: Taking short deep breaths
If one is a sports enthusiast or have a trainer in their gym, one can see that they take short deep breaths every repetition of their set. This mechanism does not come naturally to them but it is a product of efficient management of the oxygen levels in the body. As athletes take short deep breaths, he prevent the lack of oxygen in the body caused by fast and shallow breathing pattern—or what some would call ‘panting’. Panting can lead the body to consume too much energy leading to earlier fatigue or intense build-up of lactic acid. Short deep breaths, on the other hand, supply the body with jam-packed fresh oxygen with minimal energy consumption as possible.
Tip#4: Schedule exercise
An excellent tip on how to get rid of lactic acid: exercise must not be done just out of a whim; but it also must not be done every day. The body needs to rest after being subjected to strenuous exercise as the torn muscles and ligaments are being carefully and slowly reconstructed by the body—but in a stronger and leaner form. Along with scheduling the exercise, it is also primary to have regular amounts of sleep to hasten the healing process of the muscle set and drink a lot of fluid to facilitate oxygen flow to the lactate-ridden muscles.
Tip#5: Cooling down
This tip is a physical education tip on how to get rid of lactic acid that most people ignore or are too focused to do. Most people exercise or weight lift then leave their body hanging after the exercise. The body needs to dissipate the lactic acid build-up in the body and cooling down is a sure way to do it. Cooling down occurs in many forms but stretching is the most common and one of the more efficient types. Stretching counteracts and moves the tense muscles to the opposite direction thus enabling the muscle set to breathe and relax. This leads to reduction in lactate concentration and thus faster regeneration process.
Tip#6: Diet
Diet may come last but it surely is one of the most important ways on how to get rid of lactic acid fast in the body. It is advised that active people must have more carbohydrates in the body to have more energy to spend during the exercise. This is true; but lacking. Active people also need to eat food rich in fatty acids to compensate for the exercise and the build-up of lactic acid as well as vitamin B—a necessary component for the facilitation of transporting energy throughout the body and optimized during warm-up process.