Lactic acid myth

Sounds interesting - do you have some links to where the info is on the web, so we can read it too.

That is very interesting. Could you perhpas post some of the links please?

Have just been a googling and found these...

http://www.time-to-run.com/theabc/lactic.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/16/health/nutrition/16run.html

[DLMURL] http://digg.com/general_sciences/Biggest_Science_Myth_Unveiled_-_Lactic_Acid_Is_Actually_A_Muscle_Fuel [/DLMURL]_

http://www.cyclingscience.org/myths_about_lactic_acid.htm

http://www.roadcycler.com/2006/08/everything-you-know-about-lactic-acid-is-wrong/

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/lactic-acid.html

Quoting from ‘Sport & Remedial Massage Therapy’ by Mel Cash (p 68 of the 1996 edition):

“... a muscle can suffer acute strain, with its fibres being torn, if overused or overloaded. The same can occur on a microscopic level if one particular compartment, or in fact just a few fibres within it,. are overworked. Although this breakdown occurs on a microscopic level, the pathological changes that take place are just the same as with any soft tissue tear – that is, bleeding and swelling, the onset of secondary muscle tension in the surrounding tissues and the formation of scar tissue. This is what accounts for the general soreness often experienced in muscles after hard exercise: it is due to the high level of microtrauma and not necessarily to an actual strain (nor the common misconception that it is due to lactic acid).”

Alan

Just to expand on my earlier reply, ‘lactic acid’ is not a myth: it is what happens when you try to exercise very hard (anaerobically) for more than 30-40 seconds. If you watch a 400 metre race, you will sometimes see athletes slow quite significantly during the last 50 metres of the race. This is due to a build-up of lactic acid. Coaches of middle-distance runners will sometimes set training sessions such as 6 x 200 metres with only 30 seconds rest between each rep. At the end of such a session, the athletes will have developed high levels of lactic acid. However this lactic acid normally disperses of its own accord and does not concern the massage therapist (unless you are doing sports massage at a training camp).
The ‘myth’ is that lactic acid has any connection with the muscle soreness which people experience after sustained aerobic exercise (such as running a marathon). Most of the people who finish a marathon will have very sore and stiff leg muscles for some time afterwards. This is nothing to do with lactic acid: it is caused by microtrauma, as explained in Mel Cash’s book from which I quoted earlier. And this will frequently concern the massage therapist (I’m sure that quite a few of us have had to massage runners who have been suffering with very sore muscles as a result of running a marathon or half-marathon).

Alan

As Alan stated,
Latic acid is a by product of exercise and limits performance when the anaerobic energy system is used to its maximum, recovery is usually quite quick and specific training within this system can greatly extend the time before the "burn" or failure occurs.
Deleyed onset of muscle soreness DOMs occurs after arduos prolonged exercise or any increase in physical activity. This Anatomical adaptation takes as your body grows" to better cope with the new demands being placed on it, it can last upto 12 weeksdepending on your level of pre fitness.
The way to minimise DOMs is to never increase your activity or taining by more than 10% per week, use post exercise nutrition in the form of either recovery drinks or protein supplements. It is also now commonly considered important not to stretch for 24 hours post endurance training or events, have cold baths, pref' ice, to minimise the effect of microtrauma. prevent over build of scar tissue by vaso constriction, therefore minimal heat application for 72 hours.
As always advice is personal opinion based on clinical experience and not meant as an exhaustive regime, everyone is an individual and responds differently to treatment.
regards
Gaz