Journal of Applied Physiology
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J Appl Physiol 101: 683, 2006. First published May 11, 2006; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00504.2006
8750-7587/06 $8.00
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POINT-COUNTERPOINT COMMENTS

Lactic acid accumulation is an advantage/disadvantage during muscle activity

Mark Burnley

1Department of Sport and Exercise Science
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, United Kingdom
e-mail: mhb{at}aber.ac.uk

Daryl P. Wilkerson and Andrew M. Jones

2School of Sport and Health Sciences
University of Exeter
Exeter, United Kingdom

The following letter is in response to the Point:Counterpoint: "Lactic acid accumulation is an advantage/disadvantage during muscle activity" that appeared in the April issue (http://jap.physiology.org/content/vol100/).

To the Editor: Although the "received wisdom" is that an exercise-induced lactacidosis should impair subsequent exercise performance, such is not consistently the case. In recent work, we used exercise-induced elevations in blood [lactate] to alter the pulmonary oxygen uptake (VO2) response to high-intensity exercise, following from the work of Gerbino et al. (3). In doing so, we also addressed the influence of such protocols on exercise performance. Our findings demonstrate that prior heavy exercise [performed above the "lactate threshold" (LT)] followed by 10 min of passive recovery, resulting in a mild increase in blood [lactate] at exercise onset ("baseline" blood [lactate] ~3.0 mM), substantially improves time to exhaustion during a subsequent bout of exhaustive exercise (by 30–60%; Ref. 4). Moreover, follow-up work measuring changes in mean power output during a 7 min "performance trial" demonstrated that both prior moderate exercise (below LT, baseline blood [lactate] ~1.0 mM) and prior heavy exercise (baseline blood [lactate] ~3.0 mM) increased performance by 2–3% in well-trained cyclists (2). In contrast, prior sprint exercise (baseline blood [lactate] ~6.0 mM) led to a nonsignificant 1.8% reduction in performance. In agreement with the work of Bangsbo et al. (1) repeated bouts of sprint exercise (baseline blood lactate ~7.7 mM) reduces time to exhaustion during subsequent exercise (5). It would seem, therefore, that the performance of prior heavy exercise improves exercise performance despite (because of?) mild elevations in blood [lactate], but that more intense prior activity is disadvantageous.

REFERENCES

  1. Bangsbo J, Madsen K, Kiens B, and Richter EA. Effect of muscle acidity on muscle metabolism and fatigue during intense exercise in man. J Physiol 495: 587–596, 1996.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  2. Burnley M, Doust JH, and Jones AM. Effects of prior warm-up regime on severe-intensity cycling performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37: 838–845, 2005.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline]
  3. Gerbino A, Ward SA, and Whipp BJ. Effects of prior exercise on pulmonary gas-exchange kinetics during high-intensity exercise in humans. J Appl Physiol 80: 99–107, 1996.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  4. Jones AM, Wilkerson DP, Burnley M, and Koppo K. Prior heavy exercise enhances performance during subsequent perimaximal exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 35: 2085–2092, 2003.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline]
  5. Wilkerson DP, Koppo K, Barstow TJ, and Jones AM. Effect of prior multiple-sprint exercise on pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics following the onset of perimaximal exercise. J Appl Physiol 97: 1227–1236, 2004.[Abstract/Free Full Text]




This Article
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101/2/683    most recent
00504.2006v1
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Right arrow Articles by Jones, A. M.

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