identification of lactic acid buildup & treatment
does anyone have any good tips to help identify if what i have is just some residual lacitc acid build up in the outside area of quads. and is ice the right therapy for this. i used heat on saturday after running along with a lot of streaching but it did not really help, and am thinking maybe i should have used something cold. thanks for your help.
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I've experienced multi-day pain in the outside of quads, and I do find it to be intensity-related. I try self-massage and/or rolling for temporary relief, but cutting down the fast/hard intervals for a day or two is often required for me to break that. If this is after some good hard work, you may be finding yourself in the same position, but far be it from me to "diagnose" anyone. :-)
That said, I think you can be sure that it has nothing (directly) to do with lactic acid. That's gone within minutes if not within seconds.
Also, William is right (of course he is - WSM!) - lactic acid doesn't "build up," it returns to the liver and is converted to glucose via gluconeogenesis (ie, the Cori Cycle), so no worries about that!
Usually ice or cold is the way to go, as opposed to heat. You almost can't go wrong with cold. However, I've found that it's effectiveness in prevention diminishes with time - so the best time to apply is right after a hard/strenuous workout. That is where the ice baths or raising the legs is most beneficial. Usually once DOMS sets in - it's best to just wait it out, and also keep mildly active (easy spinning on the bike, walking, etc - just something to keep the blood flowing)
I will keep with the ice/cold therapy for a couple more days, along with rolling it out, and trying to keep feet elevated. It is a little better than it was late Sunday and on Monday. ICE bath sounds scary, but I guess I will have to try it. I should have done the cold on Saturday right away...oops.
I assumed it was from from pushing pace a little at end of half marathon Saturday morning. I had pushed pace at end of some long training runs and had no problems, but just not that intensely. Of course it was not smart move with a marathon on Sunday morning, but it was fun anyway.
Seriously, though - Jess is right. The first time is frightening, but within a few seconds, it's actually much better- almost luxurious. After that, they get easier, and you figure out how to balance getting in quickly with not being so quick as to cause your entire body to tense up all at once (feet first, butt second with bent knees so most of your legs are out of the water, then one leg at a time)