Where is lactic acid formed

Although anti-inflammatory drugs do appear to reduce the muscle soreness—a good thing—they may slow the ability of the muscle to repair the damage, which may have negative consequences for muscle function in the weeks following the strenuous event. Already a subscriber?

Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Discover World-Changing Science. Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism. Knowledge awaits. See Subscription Options Already a subscriber? For long periods of time, they carry out aerobic respiration in their "specialized-for-endurance" red muscles. If you are familiar with grouse, you know that these birds "flush" with great speed over short distances.

Such "sprinting" flight depends on anaerobic respiration in the white cells of breast and wing muscle, allowing rapid production of ATP in low oxygen situations. No human muscle is all red or all white, but chances are, if you excel at sprinting short distances or at a sport such as weight lifting, you have more white glycolytic fibers in your leg muscles, allowing anaerobic respiration. If you run marathons, you probably have more red oxidative fibers, performing aerobic respiration.

You may have not been aware that your muscle cells can ferment. Fermentation is the process of producing ATP in the absence of oxygen, through glycolysis alone. Lactic acid fermentation is the type of anaerobic respiration carried out by yogurt bacteria Lactobacillus and others and by your own muscle cells when you work them hard and fast.

Lactic acid is formed by the reduction of pyruvate. For Lactobacillus bacteria, the acid resulting from fermentation kills bacterial competitors in buttermilk, yogurt, and some cottage cheese.

You may have notice this type of fermentation in your own muscles, because muscle fatigue and pain are associated with lactic acid. What Is Lactic Acid? Why Is Lactic Acid Produced? Where is Lactic Acid Produced? How is Lactic Acid Produced?

What Happens to Lactic Acid? Measuring Lactic Acid Levels. Lactic Acid — The Truth.