How To Leverage Lactate To Boost Performance

Author

Betterdo
October 18, 2023

Yesterday’s review on “How to warm up”: Start with a general, dynamic one. Then a quick buildup until you feel prepared for muscle growth. Or a long buildup to max intensity for athleticism. Now let’s see what to do during the workout.

Imagine you’re in the middle of an extremely hard set. Maybe the 12th rep of a squat or the last 300 meters of a race. You’re in excruciating pain, soaking in sweat, panting for breath, and can feel your muscles tensing up. You feel like you can go longer but your muscles are just so fatigued.

Why do you get this feeling? Simple. Your muscles can’t get enough oxygen. They used all their fuel source and can’t metabolize more. So they get carbonized. That carbon makes you feel pain. But for some weird reason, to buffer this sensation, your body needs something to help. So what does it do? It releases this amazing thing called lactate.

Lactate will provide additional fuel for additional work. So this is a good incentive provided you can do it safely to "Work through the burn." It's not a signal to stop.

Lactate can then travel to the heart, liver, and brain to enhance their function. Not just in those moments, but in the period of time that follows.

So you feel a small burn, then create an additional fuel source and hormonal performance boost that cascades through your entire body. Magic, eh?

Note:

Lactate + O2 = Health 

When lactate is released, it’s great for the muscle. But it still needs oxygen to move to other areas of the body. So breathe well as soon as you finish the hard set.

Anyway, Reader, in your workout,

Whether you’re running, squatting, doing bicep curls, glute bridges, jumping, doing agility ladders, or HIIT. Follow these steps.

  • Do a proper warmup

  • Workout

  • Halfway through, push hard.

  • Add 10 extra reps and/or increase the speed (safely) until you feel the fatigue

  • Breathe through the isolated burning sensation

  • Continue workout normally

  • Notice your performance improve

Timestamps where Andrew discussed this:

Simple action: Prioritize the burn in the middle of your workout

If you don’t know the burn, then just do a wall sit for 3-5 minutes, you’ll know what I’m talking about (you’ll feel it in your quadriceps)

Feel free to reply with questions or concerns.

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