Lactic Acid: The Athlete’s Guide

Lactic Acid. Two Words that athletes LOVE to hate. And can you blame them? Lactic Acid is often uncomfortable or even painful and can seriously put a damper on your training session. That’s before we even get into all the misinformation on Lactic Acid management that you can currently find.

So here’s the cliff notes. Lactic acid is produced when the oxygen levels in the body are low, and the body starts converting carbohydrates into energy. This process creates Lactic Acid.

Luckily if your Lactic Acid build up is caused by exercise, it normally will dissipate on it’s own eventually. But these are some trick to help disperse it quicker.

Stay Hydrated! Before, during and after training.

-Adequate Rest! If possible rest between sets, and bare minimum take one day off a week to recover.

-Breathe! This one seems self explanitory, but often when we workout we breathe shallower than normal. Since Lactic Acid is caused by a lack of oxygen, shallow breaths will make it worse. Inhaling through the nose and out the mouth will help prevent it.

If you already have a Lactic Acid build up 4 loooooonnnnng slow “yoga breaths” will help disperse it. Make sure you fully fill and empty the lungs on each breath.

-Warm Up, Stretch, and Activate your muscles before each session! This increases circulation to the muscles, and leads to more oxygen moving through your system.