It is not lactic acid. it is you.

Let's clear this up once and for all. Lactate is not the bad guy.

What is lactate?
It’s what your body makes when it breaks down carbs in the absence of oxygen, like during hard training. It’s fast, efficient, and keeps you moving when intensity spikes. No lactate = no quick energy = game over. Elevated lactate in your blood is just a signal that you're pushing it. More lactate = higher intensity. Simple.

What about fatigue?

Fatigue is a temporary drop in power. It's caused by all kinds of things - like hydrogen ions building up during effort. Well…lactate helps buffer that mess. It’s actually trying to help.

High lactate feels like burning, and makes you want to stop, But it’s not causing your soreness. And you’re not “flushing it out” with a cooldown. Your body’s smarter than that.

So lactate is a fuel and blood lactate levels signal intensity, not weakness. However, getting fitter can help you manage it better. You either produce less of it for a given level of effort or you shuttle it more efficiently to other parts of the body.

While there is a genetic component to lactate accumulation, you're more likely to be undertrained than unlucky. So next time someone blames lactic acid, tell them the 90s called. They want their myths back.