My Top 5 Strategies To Reduce Lactic Acid Build-Up

Feeling the burn during workouts? That burning sensation in your muscles, lactic acid, is a normal part of high-intensity exercise, but too much can cause muscle fatigue, limit performance, and slow recovery. Whether you’re sprinting, competing in HYROX, or training for endurance, knowing how to reduce lactic acid accumulation is key to improving performance and boosting recovery. Here are my top five strategies, backed by science, to help you train harder and recover faster.

Table Of Contents

• Optimise Carbohydrate Availability for Exercise Performance

• Proper Warm-Up To Enhance Lactate Clearance

• Active Recovery After High-Intensity Exercise

• Use Buffering Supplements Like Sodium Bicarbonate

• Nomio ITC Shot for Recovery & Oxidative Stress 

• Key Takeaways 

Optimise Carbohydrate Availability For Exercise Performance

Eating the right carbohydrates before and during exercise helps reduce lactic acid build-up and delay fatigue. Before a workout take on a low fiber source of carbs such as a bagel with nut butter OR rice cakes with honey 1-2 hours prior.

For carbs during a workout under one hour, sips of a lower carb electrolyte drink mix or even nothing may suffice, while sessions lasting 1-2.5 hours benefit from 30-60g of carbs per hour. Think banana’s, dried fruit, pikelets, gels, chews, stroopwaffles, carb/electrolyte drink mixes or bars. For ultra-endurance or very high-intensity training, aim for 60-90g of carbs per hour using easily digestible sources like carb/electrolyte drink mixes, gels, or chews.

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Muscle glycogen is the primary energy source for high-intensity exercise. Pre-exercise carbohydrate intake of 3-5g/kg body weight in the 1-4 hours before training optimises glycogen stores and reduces reliance on anaerobic glycolysis. During exercise, consuming 30-90g of carbohydrates per hour (depending on duration and intensity) maintains blood glucose, delays lactate accumulation, and postpones fatigue¹,².

Proper Warm-Up to Enhance Lactate Clearance

A structured warm-up prepares your body for exercise, increases oxygen delivery, and enhances lactate clearance. Spend 10-15 minutes performing light jogging, dynamic stretches, or sport-specific drills. This not only primes muscles for high-intensity efforts but also helps prevent injuries and reduces the initial lactate spike at the start of your session.

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Warming up increases blood flow, muscle temperature, and oxidative metabolism. This primes the muscles to remove lactate efficiently and delays fatigue during both aerobic and anaerobic exercise³.

Active Recovery After High-Intensity Exercise

Active recovery post-training is more effective than sitting still. Light cycling, jogging, or mobility drills for 10-15 minutes keep blood flowing, speed up lactate removal, and reduce post-exercise soreness. During interval sessions or team sports, low-intensity recovery between bouts also improves subsequent performance.

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Maintaining circulation during light activity helps shuttle lactate from muscles to the bloodstream and convert it back to pyruvate, which muscles can use for energy. Active recovery clears lactate faster than passive rest⁴.

Use Buffering Supplements like Sodium Bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate supplementation helps muscles tolerate higher lactate levels during repeated sprints or high-intensity training. Typical dosing is 0.2-0.3g/kg body weight, taken 60-90 minutes before exercise. It may cause mild gastrointestinal discomfort, so test it during training first. While it doesn’t lower lactate production, it delays fatigue, allowing athletes to maintain peak performance for longer.

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Sodium bicarbonate increases extracellular pH and intramuscular buffering capacity, allowing higher lactate concentrations without impairing muscle function. Particularly effective for repeated sprints or 1-7 minute high-intensity bouts⁵,⁶.

Nomio ITC Shot For Recovery & Oxidative Stress

Nomio ITC Shot, containing sulforaphane, may support post-exercise recovery and reduce oxidative stress and indirectly may help manage lactic acid. While research is still emerging, early studies suggest benefits for muscle resilience and recovery after high-intensity sessions. Incorporating Nomio ITC shots around training can complement nutrition and recovery strategies.

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Sulforaphane activates antioxidant pathways and may improve mitochondrial efficiency, reducing reactive oxygen species linked to fatigue. Although direct lactate-lowering effects are still under investigation, its impact on oxidative stress could enhance recovery and performance during repeated high-intensity training⁷.

Key Takeaways 

• Fuel smart → Have carbs before training such as  a bagel with nut butter 1-4 hours prior. During exercise, aim for 30-60g per hour for most sessions, or 60-90g for long endurance workouts, using bananas, gels, chews, stroopwaffles or carb/electrolyte drink mixes.

• Warm up effectively → 10-15 minutes of light jogging, dynamic stretches, or sport-specific drills primes muscles and enhances lactate clearance.

• Active recovery works → Light activity post-workout for 10-15 minutes speeds up lactate removal and reduces soreness.

• Buffering support → Sodium bicarbonate (0.2-0.3 g/kg, 60-90 min pre-exercise) can help tolerate higher lactate during repeated sprints or high-intensity sessions.

• Recovery compounds → Nomio ITC Shot (sulforaphane) may reduce oxidative stress and support muscle recovery, indirectly helping manage lactate.

• Combine strategies → Nutrition, warm-up, recovery, and supplementation together help reduce lactic acid build-up, delay fatigue, and boost performance.

Ash Miller
Dietitian and Nutritionist (Masters)
Bachelor of Physical and Health Education
Instagram: @ashthomo_nutrition

References

1. Jeukendrup AE. Periodized nutrition for athletes. Sports Med. 2017;47(Suppl 1):51–63.

2. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501–528.

3. Fradkin AJ, Zazryn TR, Smoliga JM. Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(1):140–148.

4. Bishop D, Jones E, Woods K. Recovery from training: a brief review. Sports Med. 2018;48(6):1521–1534.

5. Saunders B, et al. Sodium bicarbonate and exercise performance: current perspectives. Amino Acids. 2017;49:1111–1122.

6. McNaughton LR, et al. Sodium bicarbonate supplementation and exercise performance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2016;26:483–492.

7. Clarke JD, et al. Sulforaphane: a review of its dietary sources, bioavailability, and mechanisms of action. Nutrients. 2022;14(2):436.

Disclaimer:
The content in this blog is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always speak with your doctor or allied health team before changing your diet, exercise, or taking supplements, especially if you have a health condition or take medication. Please use this information as a guide only. Aid Station doesn't take responsibility for individual outcomes.