How to reduce buildup of lactic acid?

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Fist of Asia

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Hey guys, I've been doing running for cardio as of late but after like 15mins of running i can feel my calves cramping from that buildup of lactic acid. I'm a vegetarian and that probably one of the causes of my high level of acid, but anyone out there knows how to counter this problem? I often wanna run more but the pain just stops me from going on even though i know i can prolly go on fo rmuch longer.
thanks
FOA
 
I would have thought being a vegetarian would have led to a higher ph (more alkaline) blood level and therefore lactic acid build up would take longer for you (in so far as to a level that you couldn't train with anymore).


Other people will have better knowledge about these things then me, but I would say go on some longer distance sprint runs. Nothing builds up lactic more for me then trying to 'sprint' 800m. And the more you do it, the more your body will get used to the higher levels of lactic and will build a greater buffer/tollerence to its effects
 
How long have you been running? Sounds like you've got shin splints. Just gut it out and the pain will eventually subside forever. Make sure you have decent running shoes, and run on grass or dirt if the pain is too bad.
 
If he's got shin splints, shouldn't he take it easy until they're healed?


I always get a bit of calf ache when I get back into running, but I always keep with it and I get back to normal quite quickly
 
My approach was to just run through the pain. Once I worked through it, I never had trouble with splints again, even after long intervals of laziness.

I think it's best just to get the splint stage over and done with as quickly as possible, even though it may hurt like a bastard. Sure, take it fairly easy and only run once or twice a week at the beginning, but waiting for splints to fully 'heal' (which can take more than a week in my experience) is not practical IMO. Just endure it and put it behind you for good.
 
do swim sprints, 25m as fast as you can, with a 30 sec. rest between lengths. Repeat until you puke.
 
stabmasterarson said:
do swim sprints, 25m as fast as you can, with a 30 sec. rest between lengths. Repeat until you puke.
Click to expand...

You can build up to this level slowly too.

I've been using this program

Phase 1:
Weeks 1 & 2: 4 X 90 seconds work + 90 seconds recovery.
Weeks 3 & 4: 5 X 60 seconds work + 60 seconds recovery.

Phase 2:
Weeks 1 & 2: 6 X 45 seconds work + 30 seconds recovery.
Weeks 3 & 4: 7 X 30 Seconds work + 20 seconds recovery.

Phase 3:
Weeks 1 & 2: 8 X 20 seconds work + 10 seconds recovery.
Weeks 3 & 4: 10 X 20 seconds work + 10 seconds recovery.

http://www.trainforstrength.com/Endurance1.shtml

If you substitute or supplement with swimming, I've found that its way easier to keep track with lenghts of the pool.

I've tried 50 meters fast as possible followed by 50 meters active recovery (slower paced swim).
 
also are you running as in actually running....or running as in jogging.
 
Potasium. Eat a banana or take potasium suppliment.
 
Thanks. I'' take all that into account, dont think its shin splits though, its just my calves really cramping up from the buildup of lactic acid.. yeah i think i'm gonna be swimming for a while now for cardio. you say bananas? rightio.. getting myself a bunch when i'm on the way to the gym later..
any more tips to reduce lactic acid buddy?
 
toetagga said:
How long have you been running? Sounds like you've got shin splints. Just gut it out and the pain will eventually subside forever. Make sure you have decent running shoes, and run on grass or dirt if the pain is too bad.
Click to expand...

shin splints u will feel in the front of ur leg , kinda around ur .. shin.. area. there is no way in hell u trained thru shin splints , the bone is shearin itself apart and the more u run , the more damage u will do.

--------

dood , just keep runnin , and maybe add some skippin into ur routine. i also used 2 cramp up bad , but ur body will adapt 2 it pretty quickly. run until u cant any more , and keep doin that till u cant any more . heh heh .
 
gungfudisciple said:
How about aspirin?
Click to expand...


Whats your thinking behind this?
Is it along the same lines as drinking sodium bicarbinate? (theres a thread about this)


parallax86-I thought it was just me that thought the whole shin splint and running through it was a bit weird.


You could also thread starter run shorter distances on the balls of your feet (and start walking around your house on the balls of your feet to start off with). I've never really had a calf cramp problem and I tend to attribute that to skipping and being on the balls of my feet when sparring
 
Ian1983 said:
Whats your thinking behind this?
Is it along the same lines as drinking sodium bicarbinate? (theres a thread about this)
Click to expand...

Aspirin reduces inflammation and thins out the blood which should help speed up the removal of and recovery from, lactic acid.
 
sodium bicarbonate to my knowledge helps you run for longer distances but has detrimental effects on ur body, your stomach first of all and also in the long term its not really gonna help with the calf cramps..
today i decided to run faster but for a shorter period of time.. gonna keep it up and munch on a banana before, during and after.. it seemed to work but i can't be sure with just 1 try.
thanks for the link vision1
keep the tips coming guys, you can never get too much advice.. just have to try them all at different times and see which works best for me..
cheers
 
I know running through a shin splint is a very bad idea. Eventually the pain can/will become chronic ... So ease off, let your legs heal, do some swimming or cycling while your feet heals ... takes a week if the inflammation is small, the bigger it is, the longer it takes healing. In some cases, if you ignore the problem for a long time, the pain will be permanent, even with operation.
 
for shin splints take time off of cardio where you have a lot of contact motion, which means running, and things like that. increase your K vitamin, which bananas have a lot of... do things like standing off a curb with your toes on the end and go up and down... use a towel and use it as a weight type deal and move your foot up and down with pressure from the towel.

for lactic acid, after a workout put a big tablespoon of baking soda in water, drink it and stretch... trust me this works...
 
gungfudisciple said:
Aspirin reduces inflammation and thins out the blood which should help speed up the removal of and recovery from, lactic acid.
Click to expand...


I spoke to someone about this because I couldn't convey why that would be wrong.

Surely during exercise the blood thickens to increase the concentration of hemoglobin (hence increase the bodies ability to get oxygen and nutrients/toxins to and from the cells). So taking a blood thinner would be detrimental to any exercise you'd do.

Also, theres the whole issue of making the body work while theres a toxin in it anyway, throwing off the bodys equilibrium before you've actually started to do anything.

Fist of Asia-sodium bicarbonate has been shown to help but not by enough to warrent its usage (especially on such low distance runs). How would you eat a banana during a run? You must run slowly, anything in my stomach makes me wanna vomit
 
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