An increase in lactate levels during training helps you to manage energy resources and to adapt your body to exercise.
Athletes and coaches often consider lactate only as a
source of fatigue and pain, but this is not true. Lactate is not a dead
endpoint of anaerobic metabolism, but a molecule that contains fuel and
can be moved around in your body as needed. It also acts as a signal to
your muscles to adapt to exercise.
Our cells store only a small amount of ATP (= molecule containing energy), which means that they have to replenish their stores continuously. They have three mechanisms to do so: the ATP-phosphocreatine system, the glycolytic system and the oxidative system.
The ATP-phosphocreatine system
Phosphocreatine is a high energy molecule which can be broken down to generate ATP. It is a very quick system that does not require oxygen and does not produce lactate, but as there is only a limited amount of phosphocreatine available, it is only used for the 5 to 15 first seconds of high intensity exercise. It is therefore only interesting for sprinters, and not for endurance athletes.
The glycolytic, oxygen independent or anaerobic system
We can also generate ATP by breaking down glucose or glycogen. This is a quick system that does not require oxygen, but produces only a limited amount of ATP. It is the preferred system of the fast switch (type 2) fibres. The end product is pyruvic acid, which can be taken up in the oxygen dependent system (see below) or transformed into lactate.
The oxidative, aerobic or oxygen dependent system
Pyruvic acid can be taken up by mitochondria, which are the cell’s energy plants. It enters then a complex series of chemical reactions and finally produces a large amount of ATP. This system is slow and requires oxygen, but as it can produce a large stream of energy for a long time, it is preferred by the slow switch (type1) fibres.
Increasing the intensity
Recent studies have shown that the amount of oxygen present in the muscle cells never decreases that much that the oxidative system has to stop. The terms “anaerobic” and “aerobic” are thus incorrect, and should be replaced by “oxygen independent” and “oxygen dependent”.
As you increase the intensity of your workout, only the oxygen independent system is quick enough to respond, and it will produce more pyruvic acid than the slower, oxidative system can handle. If your cells produce more pyruvic acid, more lactate will be formed.
Moving energy around
Contrary to popular believe, lactate is not a waste product, but an energy rich molecule. It reaches the bloodstream and is taken up by neighbouring type 1 fibres, other muscles, the liver, the heart, the brain or about any other organ. It is then transformed back into pyruvic acid and used as fuel. In the liver and in inactive muscles, it can even be transformed back into glucose or glycogen and stored.
The point at which the lactate production exceeds the clearance is called the lactate threshold. Obviously, it is not a real threshold but a gradual process. As you get fitter, your body becomes better at taking up and using lactate from the bloodstream, and you will able to work harder or run faster before reaching your threshold.
A signalling molecule
Scientists now believe that lactate also promotes the formation of new mitochondria, and therefore makes your muscles better adapted to exercise.
To stay healthy, your body has to maintain a balance between the different chemical substances in your cells and fluids. Some scientists think that an increasing amount of lactate in your blood is a signal for your unconscious brain that you are working very hard, and that this balance might be disrupted if you continue. To make sure that this will not happen, your brain will slow you down by making you tired and recruiting less muscle fibres. This is in accordance with the central governor theory, about which I have blogged previously.
The good and the bad
All the chemical substances in your body have advantages and disadvantages, and there are therefore no bad molecules. It is all about balances. Lactate is not an exception, and it deserves a much better reputation than it actually has in the popular press.
Love lactate and enjoy your workout!
References
G A Brooks. Cell – cell and intracellular lactate shuttles. J Physiol 2009; 587(Pt23): 5591-5600.
R S de Oliveira Cruz, R A de Aguiar, T Turnes et al. Intracellular shuttle: the lactate aerobic metabolism. ScientificWorldJournal 2012, 2012: 420984.
A Philp, A L Macdonald and P W Watt. Lactate – a signal coordinating cell and systemic function. J Exp Biol 2005; 208: 4561-4575.
Our cells store only a small amount of ATP (= molecule containing energy), which means that they have to replenish their stores continuously. They have three mechanisms to do so: the ATP-phosphocreatine system, the glycolytic system and the oxidative system.
The ATP-phosphocreatine system
Phosphocreatine is a high energy molecule which can be broken down to generate ATP. It is a very quick system that does not require oxygen and does not produce lactate, but as there is only a limited amount of phosphocreatine available, it is only used for the 5 to 15 first seconds of high intensity exercise. It is therefore only interesting for sprinters, and not for endurance athletes.
The glycolytic, oxygen independent or anaerobic system
We can also generate ATP by breaking down glucose or glycogen. This is a quick system that does not require oxygen, but produces only a limited amount of ATP. It is the preferred system of the fast switch (type 2) fibres. The end product is pyruvic acid, which can be taken up in the oxygen dependent system (see below) or transformed into lactate.
The oxidative, aerobic or oxygen dependent system
Pyruvic acid can be taken up by mitochondria, which are the cell’s energy plants. It enters then a complex series of chemical reactions and finally produces a large amount of ATP. This system is slow and requires oxygen, but as it can produce a large stream of energy for a long time, it is preferred by the slow switch (type1) fibres.
Increasing the intensity
Recent studies have shown that the amount of oxygen present in the muscle cells never decreases that much that the oxidative system has to stop. The terms “anaerobic” and “aerobic” are thus incorrect, and should be replaced by “oxygen independent” and “oxygen dependent”.
As you increase the intensity of your workout, only the oxygen independent system is quick enough to respond, and it will produce more pyruvic acid than the slower, oxidative system can handle. If your cells produce more pyruvic acid, more lactate will be formed.
Moving energy around
Contrary to popular believe, lactate is not a waste product, but an energy rich molecule. It reaches the bloodstream and is taken up by neighbouring type 1 fibres, other muscles, the liver, the heart, the brain or about any other organ. It is then transformed back into pyruvic acid and used as fuel. In the liver and in inactive muscles, it can even be transformed back into glucose or glycogen and stored.
The point at which the lactate production exceeds the clearance is called the lactate threshold. Obviously, it is not a real threshold but a gradual process. As you get fitter, your body becomes better at taking up and using lactate from the bloodstream, and you will able to work harder or run faster before reaching your threshold.
A signalling molecule
Scientists now believe that lactate also promotes the formation of new mitochondria, and therefore makes your muscles better adapted to exercise.
To stay healthy, your body has to maintain a balance between the different chemical substances in your cells and fluids. Some scientists think that an increasing amount of lactate in your blood is a signal for your unconscious brain that you are working very hard, and that this balance might be disrupted if you continue. To make sure that this will not happen, your brain will slow you down by making you tired and recruiting less muscle fibres. This is in accordance with the central governor theory, about which I have blogged previously.
The good and the bad
All the chemical substances in your body have advantages and disadvantages, and there are therefore no bad molecules. It is all about balances. Lactate is not an exception, and it deserves a much better reputation than it actually has in the popular press.
Love lactate and enjoy your workout!
References
G A Brooks. Cell – cell and intracellular lactate shuttles. J Physiol 2009; 587(Pt23): 5591-5600.
R S de Oliveira Cruz, R A de Aguiar, T Turnes et al. Intracellular shuttle: the lactate aerobic metabolism. ScientificWorldJournal 2012, 2012: 420984.
A Philp, A L Macdonald and P W Watt. Lactate – a signal coordinating cell and systemic function. J Exp Biol 2005; 208: 4561-4575.
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