Hi,
Just wanted to maybe explain lactic acid in this context a little more.
Lactic acid (LA) is a by-product of anaerobic metabolism (glycolysis),
but under normal circumstances the majority of it is recycled by the
liver back into glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis. (There
are other pathways as well). LA "accumulation" is what happens when
more LA is produced than can be currently dealt with (ie, "I'm bailing
as fast as I can, Mom!"). Think of it this way---after you drink a can
of Coke and get the energy out of that soda, you still have the aluminum
can left over. You can either recycle that can for use later, or if you
already have cans stacking up everywhere, you can just chuck it. Lactic
acid is like that---it's a natural leftover that can either be recycled
(most of it is), or just gotten rid of.
The body doesn't need to be "taught" to "burn" lactic acid, it already
does that as a natural and automatic part of muscle physiology.
However, the system CAN be conditioned to tolerate higher LA
concentration levels within the muscle cell, and this is one of the
benefits of periodically training horses at above their anaerobic
threshold:->
Susan Evans
Equine Rsearch Center
Cal Poly University