Lactic Acid

I was talking to a runner on our team and asking how they were doing. "Well I am a little sore... probably just some lactic acid left over from the race on Saturday." I did not go into it with this runner, but if you are reading this you can take the time to educate yourself on the myth of lactic acid and that IT DOES NOT CAUSE SORENESS. I have talked with some about this here and there, but have not gone into it with the general team.

On http://mzungo.org/ one of my favorite running websites... they had a posting the other day that fits nicely into this. See below and the links they provide for more information.

More on lactic acid... lactic acid is created by your body as a valuable energy source. As the intensity of a run increases, your body creates more and more lactic acid. The problem with lactic acid begins to occur when our body can not use this source of energy at the rate it is being created. This creates an abundance of Hydrogen ions and other chemicals that hinder performance. This usually happens in races faster than 5k or towards the end of a race when you begin to pick up the pace. Lactic acid is actually a good thing, because if our bodies did not create it, we would have no energy to run faster. Through proper training you teach your body to better use lactic acid as an energy source and clear out negative chemicals that do not help you run faster. Yes... a small science lesson. Be careful what other's tell you about lactic acid. Even people educated in science do not fully understand this valuable energy source.

So what causes soreness after a race then? Plan and simple... your muscles are slightly torn and broken down. That's it... nothing more. No lactic acid still in your legs or some other crazy runner myth.

So does cooling down have anything to do with lactic acid? Not really. A couple huge reasons for cooling down after quality/fast running are...

1. To bring your heart rate down slowly and stabilize your bodies metabolism.
2. To bring fresh blood into your muscles to start the healing process of broken down/torn muscles.

Remember... lactic acid is your friend... not your foe.

Is Hanson stuck in the past?

'Hanson [says] it's important to jog after training or racing to "cool down."
"If you're running regularly, you're still carrying yesterday's lactic acid, which is why you do a cool down -- that's for the next day," Hanson said. "To me, that's another form of stretching."'

We now know, however, that lactic acid levels return to pre-exercise levels generally within an hour.
Coaches, PLEASE stop talking about lactic acid and lactate thresholds where it is inappropriate or downright wrong which it is in almost all cases.
That said, please let us know if we are missing something.


Educate yourself so you are not misguided by others inaccurate knowledge.