Came across an interesting article on lactic acid buildup. Enjoy!
A Modern View at Lactic Acid
Example: Repeating the longstanding mantra that lactic acid is the evil offspring of strenuous exercise. That it causes intolerable muscle pain and forces you to slow down, then feel sore for a day or more. That a buildup of lactic acid should be avoided like that patch of glass just ahead.
Right? Well, partly.
Although that thinking has been ingrained in training advice for years, Dr. Gabe Mirkin wants us to know that lactic acid no longer deserves a bum rap. In fact, as this cycling physician says on his advice-packed medical website, lactic acid is actually beneficial.
Here's his explanation:
"When you exercise, sugar [carbohydrate] is broken down into different chemicals to produce energy for muscles. As long as you get all the oxygen you need, the final products are carbon dioxide and water. But if you exercise so vigorously that you can't get sufficient oxygen, the reactions stop, causing lactic acid to accumulate in your muscles and spill into your bloodstream.
"The old theory was that lactic acid makes the muscles more acidic which causes them to hurt and burn and interferes with their ability to contract, so you feel tired. Now researchers have shown that muscles contract more efficiently when lactic acid accumulates in them."
Dr. Mirkin describes how it works:
"Electric currents cause muscles to contract. This electricity is generated by cell membranes, causing potassium to move inside cells and chloride ions to stay outside. With vigorous exercise, potassium ions accumulate outside cells. As large amounts accumulate, electricity is not generated and the cells cannot contract.
"Chloride prevents potassium from getting back inside. Lactic acid removes the chloride, so it is easier for potassium to return. In this way, lactic acid increases the ratio of potassium inside cells to the amount outside, and this helps the muscle contract with more efficiency."
Okay? Quiz in the morning.
The doc continues, "When lactic acid causes muscles to hurt, you slow down to catch up with your oxygen debt. This converts lactic acid into carbon dioxide and water that are blown off as you breathe. Blood levels of lactic acid decrease and your muscles stop hurting."
Now, despite all this chemistry, Dr. Mirkin contends that this updated knowledge is not likely to change the way cyclists and other athletes train -- nor should it.
"A pace that you can hold when breathing fast and deeply -- but not gasping for breath -- is called the lactic acid [lactate] threshold and is the training level for most competitive athletes," he notes.
"Healthy people are supposed to exercise vigorously, and they're supposed to feel a burn in their muscles. This signifies lactic acid buildup, but it also signifies effective intensity."
If you feel sore the next day, he says the correct response is simple: "Go easy for as many days as it takes for muscles to feel fresh, and then exercise intensely again."
The new bottom line: Don't fear lactic acid. Yes, it burns, and one reason it does is because it's igniting your fitness.
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
So guys... PAIN IS GOOD after all!
Email this page
Breathing and spinning of crank also play a role to reduce the build up of lactic acid. That will have to learn over experience since ones breathing pace and spin cadence may not be suitable for others.
Good article btw.
You are right mate, that' s exactly what an experience rider told me.
Spin the crank with some timing/rhythm. He was trying to explain to me in words but a bit hard for me to understand. Me still can't get the rhythm to spin the crank. Sometimes pedalling with brute force wasting alot of energy.
You will have to do trial and error to find the best gear combo for coasting, spinning and climbing. As you ride more and create more muscle strength, your sweep spot to be most efficient will change too. For example, when I decided to come back to road ride after 8 years(20 to be exact if I rule out the short period that I owned a Giant TCR ONCE in 2001), I found I am to be more efficient to spin at 39/17 on flat and climb at 39/26. But as I went along, my sweet spot start to change from 39/17 to 39/15 and from 39/26 to 39/23(39/21 or 39/19 if I decide to hammer on) on the climb to the 800m Fruit Farm sign board. Of course compare to the good old days, I am still far away from perfect...;)
The rule of thumb is try to waste as less energy as possible for doing the same work. You will definitely found yours as you ride along. My suggestion: try with the easiest gear first and slowly increase the gear ratio. It should apply to both standard and compact cranks and regardless of 6,7,8,9,10 or 11 speed cassette. Of course more cog will help too!