Lactic Acid, Intervals, and Threshold Training

It has happened to us all before, we've been on an extra powerful problem or extra long route and our forearms are burning. We're pumped. 

Lactic Acid
Physiologically, when we are pumped, there is an excess of lactic acid within the muscles of our forearms. Our bodies go through several processes to produce energy for muscular movement. One of these processes is called fast glycolysis. During fast glycolysis, the body takes glucose (simple sugar) and breaks down ATP (energy) and pyruvate, a substance that can be used in other processes to make more ATP. 
 As we climb, we breathe in oxygen, that oxygen is then attached to hemoglobin in the blood, the heart takes that blood and pumps it through out body to our working muscles. The oxygen pumped to our muscles is then used to oxidize pyruvate and make more energy. If there isn't enough oxygen in the area pyruvate will turn into lactate. Lactate is a volatile substance and releases hydrogen ions. These ions cause our blood's pH to drop becoming more acidic. This why our muscles burn when we are pumped. 
That burning sensation is uncomfortable, but the formation of lactic acid is bad for performance for two other reasons. Fast glycolysis produces very little energy by itself compared to the body's other energy producing processes, so we aren't being efficient with our bodies' nutrients. Second, many of the enzymes that help the body run well, work optimally at specific pH levels. As our blood pH levels decrease these functions are disrupted.

The Lactate Threshold
The harder or longer we climb the greater the amount of energy and oxygen required to keep us on the wall. As discussed above, if there isn't enough oxygen in the area pyruvate will turn into lactate. The amount of work or exertion where the body can no longer supply oxygen fast enough causing a build-up of lactate is called the lactate threshold. If we continue to perform at an intensity past the lactate threshold we will quickly become fatigued. Lactate can be removed from the blood stream by a process called the Cori Cycle. The Cori Cycle occurs in the liver and converts lactate into glucose to be used as energy again. The only problem with the Cori Cycle is that it is very slow and it takes about an hour for most lactate to be removed.

However, there are several things that we can do to reduce the amount of lactate produced, speed up the Cori Cycle, or increase our lactate thresholds.

Proper Rest
Lactate formation isn't significant until the lactate threshold is reached. If we give ourselves long enough rest between attempts, our bodies have enough time to reset and remove the little amount of lactate produced. According to the NSCA, very powerful exercise i.e. bouldering requires a work-to-rest ratio of about 1:12 (i.e. if you climb for 10 seconds, you should rest from about 2 minutes). As the intensity of the activity decreases, the amount of suggested rest decreases.

Interval Climbing
The Cori Cycle and lactate removal can be sped up by participating in light physical activity, so in our case easier routes or problems. I train using a drill I call Hills and Valleys. For this drill, pick two ratings of climbs with a good difference in difficulty i.e. V1 and V5. Pick a random sequence of nine problems, with at least 3 being the high rating i.e. 
   V1-V1-V5-V1-V1-V5-V1-V5-V1
Attempt this sequence with as little sitting/standing rest as possible. The lower rating problems should be the rest.

Threshold Training
Threshold Training is the most intense technique out of the three discussed. During threshold training the climber climbs a route or problem that is right at their limit, but they know they can do. The climber times their attempt and then rests for as long or shorter than it took them to climb the route and then repeats the process until fatigue. By not giving the body time to properly rest between attempts the body must make adaptations for future training sessions i.e. a week away. The body "learns" to store more glucose, glycogen, and enzymes in order to maintain these demands. I have developed a threshold timer, that subtracts certain amounts of time from the rest period. The timer should work offline for most browsers so you can bookmark the page and use the timer at the gym or even outside on a smart device. 

**Couple of notes about Threshold Training**
Threshold Training is very taxing on the body and it suggested that this type of training be limited to only 1 to 2 training sessions a week. Be smart about this, if you notice any pain or a significant decrease in technique during the drill stop immediately to prevent injury.
Second, the Threshold Training protocol used at lower intensity can be very beneficial at learning how to pace oneself on very long routes and problems.
   

Update....

It's been a while since I have posted, but a lot has happened in the last couple of months.

I competed in the Boulder Box's first competition and earned 3rd place in the Men's Advanced Division, as well as 3rd place overall.

Three weeks later, on the first day of SUU's Winter Break I broke my arm! I was working on an indoor problem where the last move was a dyno from a sloper to a cow tongue jug on the roof. I caught the jug, but unfortunately I had too much momentum and my legs were carried away from the wall until I was parallel with the ground. I couldn't hold on any longer and belly flopped 12 feet on to the floor.

*Snap!*
"Shit!!!"

My right wrist had hit the ground before anything else and snapped backwards. I rolled on my back cradling my forearm, the gym was silent. My friends checked on me and I instructed them to evaluated the pulse, circulation, sensation, and motor movement below the break. After the assessment we determined that I didn't need to go to the hospital in an ambulance.

Once admitted to the ER, the nurse helping me was convinced I hadn't broken my arm, but I assured him many times that I knew it was broken. About 30 minutes later the X-Ray tech came in to take my photos. She instructed me to extend my elbow as much as I could so it would lay down on the film. My body was in such pain that my biceps muscle was in spasm and I couldn't extend my elbow. For a split second, the X-Ray tech removed her hand from  my wrist and it fell over like a tree......Where's the disbelieving ER nurse when you need him....

Two hours after being admitted I finally saw the doctor on call. He explained to me that I broke my radius and ulna, and that they both had been broken at such a steep angle that he couldn't set my arm without it sliding out of place again and that I would need surgery. At this point I didn't really care and was just happy to receive some painkillers.

 

The next day I had an appointment with the orthopedist that works with our athletes at SUU. The orthopedist explained that during surgery he would be placing two 6" inch plates into my forearm, one on my ulna and the other on my radius.

The surgery went well and two weeks later I met with orthopedist to remove my soft cast and to discuss getting a hard cast. Because the orthopedist knew I'm an athletic training student and was so impressed with the amount of healing I had already experience he gave me two options: wear a hard cast or make myself an Orthoplast splint/brace. Guess what I chose......the brace! After this he pulled my stitches through my skin with just a pair of pliers, it had to been the weirdest sensation I've ever experienced.

I wore my brace all of the time except to shower, sleep, and perform my range of motion exercises. That is another plus of working with physician that knows what you are studying; I was able to develop my own rehab plan. A month and a half later I saw this beautiful picture:


This X-Ray determined that I wouldn't need to wear my brace anymore, that I could start the strength training portion of my rehab program, and start climbing really easy stuff. The doctor said that I healed twice as fast as he had expected, but he would like me to wait another month before I really start pushing myself climbing again.

That was a week and a half ago and I have been climbing twice already. I haven't climbed anything harder than a V3, but everything has felt great so far. I've been trying really hard to be patient and not over do things. I'm just happy I that I have started climbing again.

I will post more updates on my progress as time goes on.