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What happens when lactate is produced during exercise?

User ThottChief
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Final answer:

Lactate is produced during intense exercise due to anaerobic glycolysis, contributing to muscle fatigue, but also being a crucial intermediary in energy production. The body mobilizes several responses post-exercise to address the oxygen debt and metabolize lactate. Intake and metabolism of lactate can be pathologically affected by toxins like tremetol, exacerbating post-exercise symptoms.

Step-by-step explanation:

When lactate is produced during exercise, it is an indication that the body is undergoing anaerobic glycolysis due to elevated energy demands that exceed oxygen availability. Anaerobic glycolysis is the process of producing energy in the absence of sufficient oxygen, which results in the formation of lactate as a byproduct.

Though traditionally considered negative, lactate accumulation contributes to muscle fatigue only when levels are extremely high, as it is one of many factors including energy supply and oxygen delivery affecting muscular endurance.

Energy availability, oxygen delivery, perception to pain, and psychological factors are crucial in determining the extent of muscle fatigue during intense exercise. The lactate formed can be recycled in the liver, converting it back to glucose or glycogen.

Additionally, in the case of milk from cows that have ingested tremetol from the white snakeroot plant, humans consuming this milk may experience worsening symptoms including vomiting and tremors after exercise due to the inability to metabolize lactate properly, thus exacerbating the effects of lactate and exercise-induced fatigue.

Draught from involved muscles produce lactic acid fermentation, a backup energy-generating process during oxygen-depleted conditions. Intense muscle activity, which can lead to an oxygen debt, necessitates increased oxygen consumption after exercise to restore balanced ATP levels and facilitate the conversion of lactic acid back to less acidic forms, such as pyruvic acid, which can enter aerobic pathways or be used for gluconeogenesis in the liver.

User Andreas Wenger
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