The body’s energy pathways release byproducts such as lactic acid during physical activity. The lactic threshold is the point where the body can no longer remove lactic acid at the same rate it is produced, causing a burning sensation in muscles.
Everything we do requires energy, from shaking hands to mowing the lawn to changing the channel. Even when there is no physical activity, there are a number of metabolic processes that need energy to continue. The energy pathways within the body that allow for any type of work that requires energy often release a number of undesirable byproducts as they occur. One of these byproducts is lactic acid, and the lactic threshold refers to the point at which this chemical begins to rise rapidly in the bloodstream.
Usually, there is a steady state in the body in which the amount of lactic acid produced is equal to the amount that is removed. During moderate activity, this balance can be maintained; however, when you are doing more intense physical activity, an imbalance can occur. This imbalance is mainly due to the large amount of energy required to perform certain physical tasks.
The energy cannot come from anywhere; the body must produce it using one of its energy pathways. These pathways can provide more endurance-based energy, as in the case of a marathon runner, or short-term energy boosts, for example, a powerlifter attempting a new maximum weight. The amount of lactic acid produced and other possible byproducts depends on which pathways are used and varies according to exercise demands.
The human body is a system of checks and balances that work together to maintain the most desirable balance for well-being. The lactic threshold represents that the body is disordered with this balance. Lactic acid is normally eliminated at about the same rate as it is produced, allowing for a balance. With extreme exercise, the body must create energy at a faster than standard rate, causing a spike in lactic acid so dramatic that the body cannot remove it from the bloodstream fast enough to maintain desirable levels: this is the beginning of a lactic threshold
Those who are athletes or who have experienced intensive exercise have probably experienced lactic threshold as well. The lactic threshold is characterized by a burning sensation in the muscle fibers. There is evidence that this burning is not caused by lactic acid itself, but by other acid byproducts; however, the medical community agrees that this sensation is the initial onset of a lactic threshold.
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