THE BURN
| The burn
is a unique sensation that you get when you have used a muscle very strenously.
You feel the burn and you find that you have difficulty contracting that
muscle for a moment. The burn is the result of a chemical reaction in
your body. During the normal metabolic process, the carbohydrate fuel
in your muscle is converted to a chemical known as pyruvate. Pyruvate
combines with oxygen and then the combination breaks down into carbon
dioxide and water which is carried away in the blood and expelled from
the body as waste gases. If there is not enough oxygen available to combine with the pyruvate, the pyruvate turns into lactic acid, which is a toxin. The build-up of lactic acid is what causes the burning sensation and impedes muscle contraction. There is absolutely nothing harmful or dangerous about it. It just slows you down until the oxygen supply is replenished, which is a matter of seconds. Once there is enough oxygen again, the lactic acid converts back into pyruvate. If you are very fit, you will be able to exercise longer before you feel that burn than someone who is out of shape. I can remember the first time I did buttock exercises, my muscles burned so much I had to stop three or four times during the exercises. Now the burn comes later and I don't have to stop. I look forward to the burn these days because it lets me know that I am really working hard. |