Muscles In Athletes

During exercise, energy demands increase readily. Heart rate and blood pressure increase to pump blood throughout the body, providing ample amounts of oxygen to the muscle cells. As workload increases, the demand for oxygen increases. As a result, the body becomes depleted of most of its oxygen and energy capacity post-exercise. Muscle oxygenation is needed to increase after exercise to replenish energy loses and to repair the damaged muscle tissues. Glycolysis, the metabolic process of converting glucose to energy, is the primary source of ATP synthesis during short duration exercise bouts. Intense exercise rapidly depletes ATP reserves, and muscles begin to fatigue and become damaged post-exercise. As a result, the body must replenish and repair muscle fibers in order for them to properly heal and function. …show more content…
Lactic acid is generated through the anaerobic process of glycolysis and is a known inducer of delayed onset muscle soreness (29). Consequently, lactate levels rise with greater exercise intensities as the body’s demand for energy increases. If an athlete has the perception of severe muscle soreness from strenuous training, they are likely not able to perform to optimum standards. Athletes, with their competitive edge, look for any possible tactic to improve their body’s ability to perform. A study found that a single session of cryotherapy decreased lactate levels by 66%, whereas other studies have found decreased lactate levels but in lesser amounts. Krüger et al. found lactate to be 25% less than its control. Some studies have found lactate levels to be higher with cryotherapy sessions, however levels of perceived muscle soreness were lower than in subjects where cryotherapy was not