In , he worked with a sports firm to create an energy drink called Cytomax that includes a lactate polymer that can give athletes an energy boost before and during competition. A combination of lactate, glucose, and fructose, it takes advantage of the different ways the body uses fuel: lactate can get into the blood twice as fast as glucose - peaking in just 15 compared to 30 minutes after drinking.
Most sports drinks contain only glucose and fructose. We all store energy in several forms: as glycogen, made from carbohydrates in the diet and stored in the muscles; and as fatty acids, in the form of triglycerides, stored in adipose tissue. When energy is needed, the body breaks down glycogen into lactate and glucose and adipose fat into fatty acids, all of which are distributed throughout the body through the bloodstream as general fuel.
However, Brooks said, he and his lab colleagues have shown that lactate is the major fuel source. Glucose and glycogen are metabolized through a complex series of steps that culminate in lactate. For almost a century, scientists and clinicians believed that lactate is only made when cells lack oxygen. However, using isotope tracers, first in lab animals and then in people, Brooks found that we make and use lactate all the time.
This is what he calls the lactate shuttle, where "producer" cells make lactate and the lactate is used by "consumer" cells. In muscle tissue, for example, the white, or "fast twitch," muscle cells convert glycogen and glucose into lactate and excrete it as fuel for neighboring red, or "slow twitch," muscle cells, where lactate is burned in the mitochondrial reticulum to produce the energy molecule ATP that powers muscle fibers. Brooks was the first to show that the mitochondria are an interconnected network of tubes - a reticulum - like a plumbing system that reaches throughout the cell cytoplasm.
The lactate shuttle is also at work as working muscles release lactate that then fuels the beating heart and improves executive function in the brain. In discovering the lactate shuttle and mitochondrial reticulum, Brooks and his UC Berkeley colleagues have revolutionized thinking about metabolic regulation in the body; not just in the body under stress, but all the time.
For decades scientists and clinicians believed that in cells, glycogen and glucose are degraded to the lactate precursor substance called pyruvate. That turned out to be wrong, since pyruvate is always converted to lactate, and in most cells lactate rapidly enters the mitochondrial reticulum and is burned.
Lactic Acid Training – A Different Way To Lose Fat
Working with lactate tracers, isolated mitochondria, cells, tissues and intact organisms, including humans, Brooks and UC colleagues discovered what had been missed and, consequently, misinterpreted. More recently, others have used magnetic resonance spectroscopy MRS to confirm that lactate is continuously formed in muscles and other tissues under fully aerobic oxygenated conditions. Brooks notes that lactate can be a problem if not used. Conditioning in sports is all about getting the body to produce a larger mitochondrial reticulum in cells to use the lactate and thus perform better.
Tellingly, when lactate is around, as, during intense activity, the muscle mitochondria burn it preferentially and even shut out glucose and fatty acid fuels. Brooks used tracers to show that both the heart muscle and the brain prefer lactate to glucose as fuel, and run more strongly on lactate. Lactate also signals fat tissue to stop breaking down fat for fuel. In his review, Brooks emphasizes three major roles for lactate in the body: It's a major source of energy; a precursor for making more glucose in the liver, which helps support blood sugar; and a signaling molecule, circulating in the body and blood and communicating with different tissues, such as adipose tissue, and affecting the expression of genes responsible for managing stress.
For example, studies have shown that lactate increases the production of Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor BDNF , which in turn, supports neuron production in the brain.
Now you know what causes lactic acid, but exactly what does lactic acid do to your muscles?
And, as a fuel source, lactate immediately improves the brain's executive function, whether lactate is infused or comes from exercise. The fact that lactate is an all-purpose fuel makes it a problem in cancer, however, and some scientists are looking for ways to block the lactate shuttles in cancer cells to cut off their energy supplies. All this presages a turnaround in the appreciation of lactate, though Brooks admits that textbooks - except for his own, Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and Its Applications , now in its fourth edition - still portray lactate as a bad actor.
Brooks, George A. Training to lose body fat. So what?
Lactic Acid Training - A Different Way To Lose Fat - Fitness and Power
Furthermore, the carrier of lipolysed fat to the Kreb's cycle, Oxaloacitic acid, is converted to glucose thus no longer carrying out its transport function - thus 'backing up' the system. In this train of though Lactic Acid may not be the cause of muscle fatigue and oxidative impairment, but rather the response to a Hydrogen shuttle problem.
There is also some research being looked at that discusses the acidity of Lactic Acid and Lactate Salt of Lactic Acid and the negative effect on oxidative enzymes. In summary when developing Lactic Acid you are training Anaerobically and the Aerobic fat burning process is impaired.
This is not to say however that training at a level that develops Lactic Acid will does not help in fat loss AFTER the training session I'll discuss this in part 3. There are several key areas that lead to the statement that fat burning is inhibited by Lactic Acid. The primary responses developed by high levels of lactic work ie 'burning' is the improvement of Lactic Acid tolerance or 'buffering'; this being the ability to convert Lactic Acid to a weaker acid carbonic Acid and to physiologically and psychologically handle the high levels of acidosis.
Fat utilization during training: B. Fat utilization after training recovery , and; C. Lifestyle fat utilization. I have attempt to cover three complex issues in under a thousand words but I hope this helps cover the scope of the question Serving for 10 years in this stream, Rob designed, developed, instructed and audited physical training programs and physical education courses for military personnel and fellow PTIs from both Australian and foreign defence forces. Rob subsequently transferred to the physiotherapy stream where his role included the clinical rehabilitation of defense members and project management of physical conditioning optimisation reviews.
Generally focussing on the tactical population, Rob is actively involved in research with the Australian and foreign defense forces, several police departments both national and international , and firefighters.
In addition, Dr. Rob is regularly invited to deliver training workshops and present at conferences both nationally and internationally. Full Author Details. Jason Karp Articles. Karen Copeland Articles.
Rob Orr Articles. Hi Simran, Yes, in several ways. This in turn can lead to longer work outs and energy utilization [ you should utilize more energy doing a Body Pump Class than doing 5 exercises x 3 reps of repetitions as the period of work is notably longer. First you lift mod to heavy weight and then lift the same weight for more repetitions.
- Lactic Acid Training Drills: A Complete Guide For Performance - www.nurseryhills.com.
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- Muscle Cell Rebound.
Fun In Training, Rob. Discounts are available to current PTontheNet members. Question In the article Designing an Effective Circuit there is a statement that in a fat loss program lactic acid build up inhibits lypolosis.
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Answer: Good, but complex, Question. Part 1. Furthermore, the carrier of lipolysed fat to the Kreb's cycle, Oxaloacitic acid, is converted to glucose thus no longer carrying out its transport function - thus 'backing up' the system Some research and trains of thought have linked the development of Lactic Acid to a breakdown in the delivery process of Hydrogen by the Hydrogen shuttles FAD and NAD ,from the Kreb's Cycle to the Electron Transport Chain where most of oxidative ATP is produced - This is why fat, with a high Hydrogen content, is such a good fuel source.
There is also some research being looked at that discusses the acidity of Lactic Acid and Lactate Salt of Lactic Acid and the negative effect on oxidative enzymes In summary when developing Lactic Acid you are training Anaerobically and the Aerobic fat burning process is impaired. Part 2: Effect of Lactic Acid as a training effect. For the best means of utilizing fat during exercise, moderate intensity Aerobic activity must be used; thus ensuring that ATP is produced from Oxidization of Fat - This is not necessarily the most effective way of burning fat long term as total calories consumed play by far the more important role.
See my Fat Burning Zone Article This involves the training used to ensure greater fat utilization post activity. This is where High Intensity Training, like lactic work, is best suited. During recovery from a training session, which could last for several hours after an intense session, the ATP used for recovery is predominantly derived from fat oxidization, which means you are utilizing a greater amount of fat to assist in your recovery. Be aware however that doing an exercise like Side Leg Lifts or Crunches to exhaustion, not only utilize few calories during training but also after training for recovery; thus the TOTAL amount of calories used is relatively small.
This is due to the small volume of muscle involved - you would be better suited to doing high levels of Compound Complex movements than Isolated ones.
Recover Faster, Perform Better: Lactic Acid Training Drills
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