I bet that you never made a link between the pain that you get when you exert your muscles and an increase in your testosterone production. Well for you men over the age of 30, I have good news. You can continue to have a healthy sex drive as you age. Just hear me out…
No Pain – No Gain
Ever heard of the term “No Pain, No Gain”? This is related to lactate stimulating muscle cell hypertrophy. It also plays a positive role in bodybuilding and
Lactic acid forms by the breakdown of glucose. You might better know glucose as “blood sugar.” Glucose is the main fuel for the brain and nervous system. Glucose is also used by the muscles during physical exertion. When glucose breaks down, the cells produce ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate). ATP provides energy for most of the chemical reactions in the body. ATP levels determine how fast and for how long our muscles can contract during exercise.
Lactic acid can be produced in an oxygen-free environment. This low oxygen environment is called anaerobic. We used to think that the lactic acid was produced by muscles when they did not have enough oxygen from the blood. However, we now know that lactic acid forms even in muscles that receive enough oxygen. An increase in the amount of lactic acid in the bloodstream only indicates that the level of its intake exceeds the level of removal.
Carbohydrates and Lactic Acid Production
Some of us are interested in losing fat. It is an important fact that with rest and moderate load, the body prefers to break down fats for energy. Most training programs are based on a load of 50% of the maximum. This is important because at this rate the body rebuilds to preferential carbohydrate intake. The more carbohydrates you use as fuel, the greater the production of lactic acid. Not only does the lactic acid lead to testosterone production,
Muscle Pain and Lactic Acid
You might have been told that late post-training muscle pain is caused by lactic acid. That is simply not true. Most of the lactic acid is removed from the muscles immediately after a hard exercise. The leftovers are removed within an hour after the workout. This means that the pain of lactic acid can also develop only during the exercise, but not after.Y
Late-onset muscle pain, that develops some time after a workout, is due to muscle microtraumas received during the workout. The more intense the workout, the more damage, the more the muscles will hurt during recovery. However, this pain is not due to lactic acid.
How to Reduce Lactic Acid
You can reduce muscle pain during strength training by reducing the number of repetitions. Most of the lactic acid is removed from the muscles even with 10–20 seconds of rest between repetitions. You will also discover that most of the painful sensations disappear. Remember, we want to have lactic acid production, we just don’t want the pain.
With systematic training, the body quickly adapts and over time, the process of utilization of lactic acid is significantly accelerated. For trained athletes, the concentration is always lower compared to beginner athletes.
Having a hot bath after the gym helps to remove lactate by improving blood flow in the muscles.
The Benefits of Lactic Acid
Lactic acid is often used by the body as an energy source and raw material for the synthesis of glucose and glycogen. The consequences of training intensively are less muscle pain and more muscle growth
Lactic acid promotes muscle growth through vasodilation. The dilation of our blood vessels improves blood flow. This process creates better oxygen transportation.
Lactic Acid and Testosterone Production
So you might ask yourself “what does this all have to do with testosterone?”
Testosterone is a sex hormone that we usually associate with men. However, women have small amounts of testosterone. After age 30, most men begin to experience a gradual decline in testosterone. If a male has a low level of testosterone, the symptoms can include erectile dysfunction, and reduced bone mass and sex drive.
An increase in lactic acid has been associated with an increase in testosterone secretion. It is believed that this is not as simple as lactic acid acting on the testicles. It also has an effect on other hormones that stimulate the release of testosterone. This means that training can increase your testosterone levels. This is a welcomed side effect for men over the age of 30 who typically experience a reduction in testosterone levels.
If you are interested in maximizing the testosterone levels, then consider using high-intensity loads lasting from 15 to 60 seconds. It is believed that this affects the growth of testosterone levels to the greatest extent. Obviously, the duration of the load to a certain extent affects the amount of lactic acid produced.
This means that you can live well and live long and have a happy and long sex life, so long as you pay attention to your weight and create a workout regime that is healthy.
How to We Create the Discipline to Keep Going as We Age
If you are just starting out, it is imperative that you consider using a personal trainer. You should start out with at least 2 to three times per week. There are many reasons to hire a personal trainer. If you are serious about your long term health or worried about the reduction in testosterone over time, then using a personal trainer will help you with the discipline as you change your weekly routine to include weight training to increase your testosterone production.
You can Work out with Irina #wowi at Life Time Athletics. Irina Marchenkova is a Fitness Trainer in Ajax doing Personal Training in Ajax at Life Time Athletic.
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