Muscle Acid – The Lactic Acid Problem

How Muscle Acid Develops

The heart and lungs supply sufficient amounts of oxygen to our body for energy supply once we exercise aerobic. During aerobic exercise, lactic / muscle acid levels do not rise as the air we breathe contains enough oxygen to use blood sugars completely for the energy needs.

The problem is that during anaerobic exercise the body uses more oxygen than the lungs and heart can supply to the body so less energy is produced. This causes high muscle acid levels (lactic acid build-up) in the blood. This muscle acid build-up during anaerobic exercise leads to muscle aches, muscle stiffness and muscle soreness, which is why the athlete will eventually slow down (during anaerobic exercise along with lack of oxygen supply huge amounts of lactic acids are released into the muscle tissues, causing the muscles to stiffen).

Whether there is too much muscle acid in the muscles or not, can be determined through a blood test focusing on lactic acid – lactic acid builds up in the muscles, when strenuous exercise lowers the flood of oxygen. This test shows whether the right amount of oxygen is reaching the body's tissues. It’s important to know, as very high levels of lactic acid may cause a serious condition called lactic acidosis.

Above that, a lactic / muscle acid test can identify the cause for an over-acidified body (low blood pH).

Why Pain because of Muscle Acid?

Once we exercise our body burns glucose and releases it as energy. During this process pyruvic acid, amongst others, is created, which turns into lactic acid (unless enough oxygen is present to remove it) – this generally occurs through anaerobic training, or extended periods of aerobic training.

Muscle Acids / lactic muscles occur when they are being worked at high intensity so that the demand for oxygen can't be met - an excess of lactic acid and a burning feeling and pain in the muscle is the result.

The breakdown of glucose produces lactate and hydrogen ions in equal shares. As the hydrogen ion concentration increases, the muscle becomes acidic - which will slow down enzyme activity and breakdown of glucose and eventually stop muscle function. Muscle Acid will cause muscle pain and irritate the central nervous system.

Muscle Acid may cause Lactic Acidosis

Once athletes produce too much muscle acids and lactic acids in the body, a condition called lactic acidosis may occur – which may lead to Acidosis. The most common cause of lactic acidosis is, beside a few others, intense exercise.

Lactic acidosis is the state of over-acidified tissues. Hypoperfusion and tissue hypoxia force cells to breakdown glucose anaerobically, which results in lactic acid formation.

If athletes lack oxygen in their blood (during intense exercise, the body uses its natural oxygen supplies), the body can’t burn the pyruvic acids produced by glycolysis. Hence, pyruvic acid is converted to lactate (lactate is a by-product of sugar-breakdown in the body), which causes lactic acidosis.

Lactic acidosis is characterized by serum pH levels <7.35 and lactate levels >5 mmol/L.

Muscle Acid vs. Metabolic Acidosis

Metabolic Acidosis is an acidic body condition and means that one's blood pH is lower than 7.365, caused by the increased production of hydrogen ions (H+) by the body through vigorous exercise. This condition leads to muscle pain and muscle soreness.

The production of H+ is part of the energy released from the use of electrical energy or electrons associated with the breakdown of glucose. Beside muscle pains, other symptoms of metabolic acidosis may include headache, trembles/shaking, or abdominal pain.

Alka-Blast™ effectively neutralizes hydrogen ions and therefore reduces muscle pain, enhances muscle strength and allows quicker recovery times.