What's good to eat to help release the lactic acid in my legs?

[KristenAnne]

I do a crossfit hybrid worout during lunch and after work I'm training for a marathon. What's goo to eat during my afternoon snack or after my workout/runs to help get rid or at least limit the lactic acid pain I've been feeling lately?

[trainer · Accepted solution]

Lactic acid is usually processed through your muscles in about 20-30 seconds. In general, the after exercise pain people feel is due to micro tears in the muscle fibers. This is a good thing as it means you are building new muscle to repair the tears. Of course you also feel inflammation from the tears and this is a big part of the stiffness after exercise. To help the lactic acid process your body needs calcium and magnesium. If you feel more muscle cramping during and after exercise than you believe is 'normal' you should eat foods higher in magnesium and calcium on a regular basis. If you feel stiff/sore after exercise you should remember to stretch at the end of your workout, continue moving easily (no plunking on the couch thinking 'I worked out now I can loaf'!) and make sure you are eating healthy foods to fuel your workout. Some people swear by chocolate milk as a post workout fuel. If you are feeling more stiff/sore than 'normal' it is probably more inflammation and possibly slight damage to tendons due to poor form or overdoing the workout. Foam rollering can help this as can GENTLE exercises the next day that move the sore body part through its full range of motion. So, if you over did bicep curls on Monday then on Tuesday doing bicep curls with no weight might help. And of course anti-inflammatories might be necessary.

[Mary]

I've never heard of a food that alleviates muscle pain from workouts.  

Be careful doing that much.  Both the things you're doing are intense and come with the risk of overtraining.  Doing them at the same time, especially if accompanied by significant pain, might be courting injury, illness and burn out.

[KristenAnne]

The stretching really worked. I'm doing a lot to my body right now, and I choked down some chocolate milk after my run. I think you were on to the idea of me adding calcium... I DO NOT get enough because I hate milk. I try and hide it in oatmeal or eggs, but it's not nearly enough.

Thanks for the ideas and help!

[Skreese81]

Never underestimate a good massage! Sports massage incorporates muscle stretching and drinking a lot of water after the massage flushes out the toxins they released.

[KatchMe]

I am an avid competative runner and lactic acid build up is common for me and my peers. I find stretching before working out, then doing a warm up run (about 1/2 mile or more), then stretching again before my actual work out helps me. As I have gotten older, I find stretching after my work out helps too. Lots of stretching.

[buggirl82]

Drink lots of water, post workout.  It helps to flush lactic acid.  I also had a massage therapist tell me that putting lime in your water helps.