Did you know?!...
Your brain loves it when you lift heavy weights, but not for the reason you might think.
Sure, lifting heavy weights boosts your:
Metabolism;
Cardiovascular function;
Hormonal balance;
Digestion;
Insulin sensitivity;
Alertness;
Energy;
Bone density;
Organ health;
but did you know that high intensity training also produces food that your brain likes to eat?!
Lactic Acid Does Not Exist
There's a bro-sciencey myth that lactic acid is something you want to avoid, and that you shouldn't lift to failure because this causes lactic acid buildup which makes you sore for several days.
Not so recent, but often ignored, research has shown that there's more going on.
H+ and Lactate
There's lactate that's produced from glycolytic metabolism (burning carbs in the absence of oxygen, i.e. what you're burning when you're out of breath) and soreness caused by hydrogen (H+) ions in your body several hours (or days) later.
Sure, the "burn" sucks and being too sore to move sucks, but there's a reason why they're super important for your overall health!
In the short term, the lactate and elevated acidity levels in your blood following a set of heavy lifts serves 2 critical functions:
Acidity, H+: The buildup of acidity (H+) signals the muscles to stop contracting because glycogen stores have been depleted to safe minimum. Pushing past this point is not only dangerous, but also counterproductive. When you ignore the "burn," you risk the onset of rhabdomyolysis. I won't go into detail about rhabdo, but you'll pee brown and vomit. That, enough, should deter you.
Lactate: The production of lactate, a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism, supports brain function as your blood sugar becomes depleted. High intensity training depletes your muscle glycogen, which makes your muscles draw in glucose from the blood several days following your workout. Lactate has been shown to improve axonal function (axons are the cells that make up neurons) especially in times of hypoglycemia. It's brain fuel.
When the brain is fueled properly, your mood, energy, focus, alertness and "sharpness" go up.
So how do you keep from being sore a few days later?
You don't. That's the price you pay for a healthy body. I'm not saying that "No Pain No Gain" is a smart way to train.
Pain is a signal for you to STOP. This is why high intensity training is so effective. Your body will literally stop you from doing any more than you need to.
Of course, if you rest between sets, you can ignore the pain and do more sets. But then your body will just be like," Dude, STOP!"
Expect some soreness. If you're doing it right, you'll feel like you did work, but not damage. This internal communication builds the mind-body connection that is the Warrior's foundation.
Stay consistent. The soreness goes away faster the more you train.
Be awesome. Feel awesome. You're a Warrior getting stronger with each session. Wear that soreness as a badge. But realize that pain isn't the objective.
Know the difference between your body telling you,
" Please don't do that again!"
vs.
"I'm sore, need a minute, but I'll be good tomorrow!"
Put your knowledge to work and let it fuel your training this week!
Check out the free workouts on the RMF Video Workouts page or join the RMF Sunday Workout!
Here are a list of resources for more information about lactate and brain function.
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