[BD] Lactic acid is dead! Long live calcium!

[graham]

Sorry to shatter your dreams of playing ironman at tour and not getting
tired but having read that article I don't think just eating more calcium is
the answer.  It says the problem is leaking calcium pumps not a deficiency
of calcium.  And call me a sceptic but I'll wait until I see it In a
scientific journal rather than a newspaper too...

Until then I'll be using the track to get fit.

Graham

-----Original Message-----

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:56:57 +0000
From: "James Melzack" <james.skankaholic at gmail.com>
Subject: [BD] Fwd: [ED] Lactic acid is dead! Long live calcium!
To: Britdisc <britdisc at ranulf.net>
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	<365de02b0802130856g5802ea24gd49627fed3a6bc34 at mail.gmail.com>
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Melle Clark <larky718 at gmail.com>
Date: 13 Feb 2008 16:12
Subject: [ED] Lactic acid is dead! Long live calcium!
To: ulti NYC-ultimate <nyc-ultimate at yahoogroups.com>, ulti Asheville <
ashevilledisc at yahoogroups.com>, eurodisc <EuroDisc at ira.uka.de>

Hey Ultimate,

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/health/research/12musc.html?em&ex=12030516
00&en=627f6a21952d029a&ei=5087%0A

Read this article if you still think lactic acid has something to do
with fatiguing muscles.  That experiment was done on dead frogs over
100 yrs ago -- the scientist was prodding dead frog muscles to make
them twitch, and when they stopped twitching (remember, they were
dead), he noticed that the muscles were saturated with higher levels
of lactic acid.  Hence....

This article underscores the importance of CALCIUM for making muscles
function.  I remember from undergrad biochem something about calcium
channels, and the absence of calcium in muscles causing spasming.

The thing about the false lactic acid theory was that the folk wisdom
about how to keep muscles un-fatigued has been functionally
appropriate over the years.  Drinking water and keeping up
electrolytes are good.  Avoiding milk and other dairy products -- that
is still probably good advice since dairy causes mucus; though the fat
in cheese is good during tournament time for energy -- but not during
training.

There are better sources of calcium than dairy:
-- green leafy vegetables  -- broccoli, parsley, kale (but not spinach
-- the iron is accessible but the calcium is bound and inaccessible);
-- tofu and other soy products;
-- almonds;
-- brazil nuts;
-- molasses;
-- figs are a great source, and generally a good natural alternative
to Power Bars as they also have electrolytes & potassium.

Keep on chucking,
Melle