Like Acid in my Veins: A Lactic Acid Refresher

It’s that point when your body parts feel like lead. Each step is labored, and your well trained legs seem to be fighting your every move in the right direction. What madness is this? Could it be that dreaded running demon known as lactic acid that is not only causing my race day agony, but my post-race fatigue, too? What role (if any) does it play in post-race blues?

Sometimes the only thing to do when you have pushed
too far is to rest and let the lactic acid settle.

Feel the [Acid] Burn

According to WebMD, the ailment-diagnosing source for all of us non-board-certified desk jockeys, the buildup of lactic acid stems from low oxygen levels during exertion, as the body attempts to break down carbs for muscle fuel.

Lactic acid begins to build in the body when glucose (sugar in the bloodstream) is broken down to it minimal form during any hard workout, resulting in the need for the body to clear the lactate from the bloodstream in order to maintain a high rate of exertion. As many runners have noticed, there is a limit to what the body can handle. 

The affect of too much lactic acid is that oh so lovely burning sensation in the muscles that gives the extremities the feeling of being lead-filled.

Often, the increase in lactic acid forces the runner to stop in order to decrease the acid buildup, which, according to the website BrianMac Sports Coach, occurs quite rapidly during exercise—with removal typically happening within one hour after exercise stops.

So what’s the cure? For the runner, taking a few minutes at the aid station mid-race can curb the initial buildup of lactic acid and prolong the physical output. The key word: “prolong”, which means, unfortunately, lactic acid is with you every step of the way on race day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t control its onset to an extent.

Steep inclines, high hills and a fast pace increase lactic acid buildup.
This hill, the Skyline Rim Trail, has an incline of 2,000+ vertical feet
in the first 2 miles, making for a lactic threshold-building run!

The Big Question: Does lactic acid buildup during an event mean more soreness after?

The short answer: No. Based on all of my research about post-race stresses on the body, my aches and pains are not to be attributed to that race day weightiness brought to my limbs by lactic acid. One positive note is that lactic acid levels, I have learned, can be beneficial if managed properly.

                  By pushing your body to high anaerobic levels you can help to increase the amount of oxygen your body can process during a given time period. By pushing your body’s anaerobic threshold you can offset at least some of the short term affects caused by acid buildup. The key is to push your exercise output above your standard, predetermined race pace for a short amount of time—typically 2 to 4 minutes, according to Runner’s World online. Follow this high-output with a “cool-down” running speed of 1 to 2 minute below race pace and boom! You have just helped nudge your lactic threshold in the right direction. Now, just do that several time throughout your run, several day per week, and you can simply avoid being burned by lactic acid…at least for a while. There are several good lactic threshold training plans available online through Runner’s World, so be sure to check them out prior to your next race.

                  As for the initial question: Why am I so sore post-race? It would appear that lactic acid buildup, contrary to common wisdom, does not carry over into my post-race blues. So, what does? In upcoming posts I will dig deeper into what causes the hurt, and (hopefully) figure out ways to avoid it!