Have you ever wondered how to reduce lactic acid with food?

When your body does not have enough oxygen for aerobic respiration, it produces lactic acid as a byproduct of anaerobic respiration. It can cause muscle fatigue and soreness. Lactic acid also inhibits the ability of muscles to contract, so it can limit your strength in exercise.

The average person produces over a gallon of lactic acid each day. The body produces this acid when it breaks down glucose, which enters the bloodstream after consuming carbohydrates.

Fortunately, there are plenty of foods that can help reduce lactic acid levels. Here are some of our favorites:

Reducing Lactic Acid Through Your Diet

1. Increase your magnesium intake. The mineral magnesium is essential for proper energy production within the body. Healthy magnesium levels will help the body deliver energy to the muscles while exercising, thereby limiting the buildup of lactic acid. Therefore, you should make an effort to increase your daily magnesium intake, preferably through your diet.

It is also possible to increase magnesium intake through supplements; however, with a healthy diet rich in the food sources described above, such supplementation should not be necessary. Tip: Vegetables like Swiss chard, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, and green beans; legumes like navy beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, and lima beans; and seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds are all excellent sources of magnesium. Tofu—especially nigari tofu—is particularly rich in magnesium.

2. Eat foods rich in fatty acids. A healthy intake of foods rich in fatty acids helps the body to break down glucose, a process that is essential for normal energy production. These nutrients can help to limit the body’s need for lactic acid during a tough workout and keep you going for longer.

Fatty acids also work to reduce inflammation. This process may lessen muscle soreness in the days following a tough workout.

Get essential fatty acids from cold-water fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel; nuts and seeds like walnuts and flaxseed; and plant oils such as corn oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oil.

3. Eat foods containing B vitamins. B vitamins are useful in transporting glucose around the body, which helps to fuel the muscles during a workout, thus reducing the need for lactic acid.

Foods rich in B vitamins also aid in the body’s replenishment of other nutrients lost during vigorous exercise.

Foods that contain high quantities of B vitamins include leafy green vegetables, cereals, peas, and beans, as well as protein-rich foods such as fish, beef, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.

How to Prevent Too Much Buildup

Soreness, stiffness and loss of strength and range of motion usually peak about one to three days after the extreme exercise takes place, but how intense these symptoms are does not depend on how much lactic acid accumulates during exercise.

The exact reason that DOMS occurs is still being researched, but experts believe that an inflammatory-repair response taking place in your muscles is mostly to blame. Muscle cell damage and elevated release of various metabolites surrounding muscle cells seem to be involved.

You can still work on preventing lactic acid buildup to improve your workout capacity and recovery. Here are tips for keeping lactic acid levels in check:

1. Build Up Exercise Intensity Gradually

If you ramp up the intensity of your workouts too abruptly, you’ll pay for it by experiencing lots of muscle fatigue (among other symptoms) in a couple of’ times

Give yourself time to build stamina and strength gradually without putting yourself at risk for injury or burnout. You can also prevent overuse injuries by varying the types of workouts you do, the muscles you target and the intensity of exercises you perform.

Ideally, split your weekly workouts into different types: those that are more aerobic in nature (cardio workouts) and those that build strength.

How do you know if you’re working at an appropriate intensity? You can monitor your breathing and heart rate.

Practice effective breathing techniques, and also consider using a pulse oximeter during exercise.

If you feel you’re overexerting yourself, slow down and avoid short, shallow breaths, and instead focus on slowing your breathing.

2. Fuel with Proper Nutrition

Be sure to fuel your muscles and organs with the nutrients your body needs, including adequate complex carbs, proteins and micronutrients from various whole foods.

The best way to ensure you get enough calories and nutrients to support your fitness level is to eat a variety of foods, including protein sources, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, high-fiber foods like nuts and seeds, etc.

Foods that provide electrolytes, especially magnesium and potassium, seem especially helpful for managing muscle fatigue during exercise. This implies that individuals who are active should consume natural sources of these minerals, such as nuts, legumes, leafy greens, potatoes, bananas, broccoli, natural orange juice, and dark chocolate.

Iron is another mineral that is helpful for fueling your body with oxygen. Iron-rich foods include:

• liver and organ meats
• grass-fed beef
• lentils
• leafy greens
• fish
• black beans
• nuts

Prior to a workout, it can be helpful to eat a source of carbs and protein that your muscles will use for energy. Examples include some fruit, oatmeal with yogurt or cottage cheese, or a hard-boiled egg with a slice of sprouted grain bread.

3. Take Rest Days

Your body only has a chance to clear out lactate and other metabolites that have built up from tough workouts once you take the time to rest. During this period, your muscle tissue undergoes repair, allowing you to “grow back stronger.”

This implies that muscle recovery is a crucial component of overall fitness.

Even on rest days, you can do light exercises, such as walking, gentle yoga, or swimming. But don’t push yourself to exercise at a high intensity if you’re already feeling sore and tired; listen to your body and take at least one or more days off to rest per week.

4. Stretch and Gentle Movement

Stretching before and after a workout supports performance and recovery in several ways, such as by increasing blood flow, improving flexibility and also by mentally improving energy/focus.

Try dynamic stretches before exercise that involve moving your body (rather than holding deep stretches), which boosts circulation. Following exercise, you can also use ice packs, get a massage and take warm baths to increase blood flow and help manage the soreness you may be feeling.

5. Prevent Dehydration

Make sure you drink enough water to prevent symptoms of dehydration and overheating, which can include fatigue, dizziness, and cramps. Aim for at least eight glasses per day or more if you’re active or in a scorching climate.

Does Salt Stop Lactic Acid?

Salt can affect the growth and activity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and other microorganisms involved in lactic acid fermentation, which in turn can affect the amount of lactic acid produced, even though it doesn’t directly stop its production.

FAQs

Is lactic acid harmful to the body?

No, lactic acid is not harmful to the body when produced within normal limits. It is a natural byproduct of anaerobic metabolism and is eventually cleared from the body through natural processes. Excessive lactic acid accumulation can cause discomfort and muscle fatigue, but it does not pose a long-term health risk.

Can lactic acid cause muscle soreness?

Lactic acid buildup is often associated with muscle soreness, but it is not the sole cause. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) typically occurs due to micro-tears in the muscle fibers and the resulting inflammation, rather than solely from lactic acid buildup.

How long does it take to flush lactic acid from the body?

The time it takes to flush lactic acid from the body varies depending on factors such as individual metabolism, exercise intensity, and hydration levels. Generally, lactic acid is cleared from the body within a few hours to a couple of days after exercise.

Can drinking water help reduce lactic acid?

Staying hydrated by drinking water can help facilitate the elimination of lactic acid from your body. Proper hydration supports kidney function, allowing for the efficient removal of lactic acid through urine.

Is it necessary to consult a doctor for lactic acid buildup?

In most cases, lactic acid buildup during exercise is a natural process that does not require medical attention. However, if you experience persistent muscle soreness, extreme fatigue, or other concerning symptoms, it is advisable to consult a healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis.

Can massage therapy help in flushing out lactic acid?

Massage therapy can help improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, which may facilitate the removal of lactic acid from your muscles. However, the scientific evidence regarding its direct impact on lactic acid elimination is limited.

Conclusion

In addition to the human body, you’ll also find lactic acid in some fermented foods. Cultured dairy products, also known as “sour milk” products like yogurt and kefir, contain lactic acid bacteria.

Bacterial strains like Lactobacillus and others carry out anaerobic respiration to form this acid.

Lactic acid fermentation, which helps produce probiotic foods, is a metabolic process in which glucose and other six-carbon sugars are converted into cellular energy and the metabolite lactate.

Lactate is an important component of energy metabolism. Although it has historically been blamed for muscle soreness, it’s not responsible for this effect and is, in fact, a fuel for many organs of your body.

However, lactate does occur as a byproduct of intense exercise, and the buildup of hydrogen ions that occurs when it’s produced is thought to be responsible for the fatigue and burn you feel during this type of activity.

Your body has a natural process for clearing lactate that relies on proper kidney and liver function and oxygen. There’s not much you can do beyond keeping yourself healthy and hydrated to increase your baseline lactate metabolism.

Metabolic dysfunction-induced blood lactate increases present a unique challenge. If these occur, you should address them with a healthcare professional.

Through exercise training, you can improve your lactate threshold, which will mean you can work out harder or run faster before you reach the point at which lactate starts building up and your muscles become fatigued.

With that in mind, do not overly concern yourself with lactate or lactic acid. Think about using DOMS-appropriate remedies if you’re still sore days after working out.

In the meantime, train hard, drink water, and embrace the burn.