This is a new video from a guy named Sean about Lactate that I saw today. I think he did a good job of putting a lot of information together in a very understandable and easily accessible presentation. He pulls information from some heavy hitters such as George Brooks and Inigo San Millan.
Lactate has long been a thorn in my side as I struggle to really understand how it works in exercise. The science of lactate has come a long way from being considered a "bad" by-product to being understood as an important energy source. @North Coast Miller has been key in pushing me to advance my understanding of it, and I look forward to when I can attend some additional StrongFirst courses that might further explain training methods.
Here are a couple things from the video that I found interesting:
- It is now a well-known myth that lactate is only produced when there is insufficient oxygen. It now seems we have about a 10:1 lactate : pyruvate ratio even at rest and in an exercising muscle it could go up to 300-400:1! Another myth - lactate is not the "burn," which seems to be more due to things like phosphates and hydrogen ions. DOMs is also not due to lactate.
----- My only quibble with this is that if "the burn" comes from hydrogen ions ... where do those come from? Lactic acid is the "non-disassociated" form of lactate. What I mean is my understanding from chemistry is that an acid rarely really exists naturally in its form with the "acidic" hydrogen, but it naturally disassociates into an "-ate" and a hydrogen ion. (The fancy term is that lactate is the conjugate base of lactic acid.) I'm unclear if lactate is produced or if lactic acid is produced and the hydrogen ion disassociates, so we then find concentrations of lactate and hydrogen ions. Ultimately I guess I don't really care - it doesn't really change how I train or how I talk to people about "the burn." He kinda touches on this sort of in "Myth 3" but doesn't really close the door. When someone says there's a buildup of a lactic acid during exercise and someone goes "*adjusts glasses* well ACTUALLY its lactate and hydrogen ions!" like ... what's the difference? I get it is technically more accurate to say the latter, I guess I just don't see them as that different. Probably just my own lack of comprehension as plenty of people seem to make a big deal about it, so I guess it matters...
- Something interesting is that within a muscle, you have fast twitch that produce lactate during their high glycolytic profile, and then you have slow twitch fibers that then consume the lactate the other fibers produce. Lactate is the "link" between glycolytic metabolism and oxidative metabolism.
- Lactate is also a signaling molecule that downregulates lipolysis - the higher the lactate, the less fat will be broken down to circulate AND the less it will enter the mitochondria to be oxidized (burned as energy).
- Lactate is the main or primary gluconeogenic precursor - lactate will be taken to the liver and converted to glucose via the Cory Cycle, and the glucose gets converted to glycogen and is taken back to cells.
- Again, I really like how he does cellular balance / systemic balance / unbalanced. Cellular balance is the lactate concentration may rise in the cell but is kept "balanced" and does not have a systemic effect; systemic balance is where there is a higher blood lactate level, but the body is able to keep it steady.
Anyways, really enjoyed the video and learning more about something I find very confusing!
Lactate has long been a thorn in my side as I struggle to really understand how it works in exercise. The science of lactate has come a long way from being considered a "bad" by-product to being understood as an important energy source. @North Coast Miller has been key in pushing me to advance my understanding of it, and I look forward to when I can attend some additional StrongFirst courses that might further explain training methods.
Here are a couple things from the video that I found interesting:
- It is now a well-known myth that lactate is only produced when there is insufficient oxygen. It now seems we have about a 10:1 lactate : pyruvate ratio even at rest and in an exercising muscle it could go up to 300-400:1! Another myth - lactate is not the "burn," which seems to be more due to things like phosphates and hydrogen ions. DOMs is also not due to lactate.
----- My only quibble with this is that if "the burn" comes from hydrogen ions ... where do those come from? Lactic acid is the "non-disassociated" form of lactate. What I mean is my understanding from chemistry is that an acid rarely really exists naturally in its form with the "acidic" hydrogen, but it naturally disassociates into an "-ate" and a hydrogen ion. (The fancy term is that lactate is the conjugate base of lactic acid.) I'm unclear if lactate is produced or if lactic acid is produced and the hydrogen ion disassociates, so we then find concentrations of lactate and hydrogen ions. Ultimately I guess I don't really care - it doesn't really change how I train or how I talk to people about "the burn." He kinda touches on this sort of in "Myth 3" but doesn't really close the door. When someone says there's a buildup of a lactic acid during exercise and someone goes "*adjusts glasses* well ACTUALLY its lactate and hydrogen ions!" like ... what's the difference? I get it is technically more accurate to say the latter, I guess I just don't see them as that different. Probably just my own lack of comprehension as plenty of people seem to make a big deal about it, so I guess it matters...
- Something interesting is that within a muscle, you have fast twitch that produce lactate during their high glycolytic profile, and then you have slow twitch fibers that then consume the lactate the other fibers produce. Lactate is the "link" between glycolytic metabolism and oxidative metabolism.
- Lactate is also a signaling molecule that downregulates lipolysis - the higher the lactate, the less fat will be broken down to circulate AND the less it will enter the mitochondria to be oxidized (burned as energy).
- Lactate is the main or primary gluconeogenic precursor - lactate will be taken to the liver and converted to glucose via the Cory Cycle, and the glucose gets converted to glycogen and is taken back to cells.
- Again, I really like how he does cellular balance / systemic balance / unbalanced. Cellular balance is the lactate concentration may rise in the cell but is kept "balanced" and does not have a systemic effect; systemic balance is where there is a higher blood lactate level, but the body is able to keep it steady.
Anyways, really enjoyed the video and learning more about something I find very confusing!
