Re: Heart Rates

Susan F. Evans (suendavid@worldnet.att.net)
Fri, 15 Nov 1996 20:08:01 +0000

Tivers@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 96-11-15 17:28:54 EST, you write:
>
> << 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 >>
>
> Susan,
>
> Exposure to high lactate levels results in other accommodations than simple
> tolerance and buffering. Increased oxidative capacity (citrate synthase) and
> uptake is one such "learning" process. Increased mitochondrial density
> another. Both add to the capacity to use lactic acid as an immediate fuel
> source.
>
> ti

Hi Tom,

OK, I finally understand the original statements about "teaching a
system to burn lactates." I disagree with the statement that a body
must be "taught" to burn lactates as a fuel source, which I took
to imply that without being taught, it DOES NOT burn utilize lactates as
a fuel source (so you can imagine my confusion). However, I DO agree
with the statement that a system can be trained to burn lactates BETTER,
which is a different thing. I think somewhere in here I mentioned to
someone that conditioning does affect different things, among them
increasing the glycolytic and TCA cycle enzymes, tolerance to lower pH,
etc. Of course, there's a huge list of adaptations to conditioning, but
you can only list so many before dropping off into a light slumber or
until someone bludgeons you to death with a biochem book :->

As I thought, we're all agreeing on the same thing and just giving it
different labels. No offense to anyone, but I did perk up my ears at
someone saying a horse has to be TRAINED to burn lactates.

Thanks for the post, nice to hear from you.

Susan Evans
Equine Research Center
Cal Poly University