How YOGA helps to reduce lactic acid build up in muscles

My intention in this research is explaining how yoga is suitable for everyone, even though they don´t practice yoga as it is supposed to be. The asanas will help them to archive their goal in a better way. I´m going to talk about this topic and include yoga topics in every step that could be part of a recovery system for athletes.

Lactic acid is released into the muscles when they have used up their normal energy stores but still have intense energy needs. Small amounts of lactic acid operate as a temporary energy source, thus helping you avoid fatigue during a workout. However, a buildup of lactic acid during a workout can create burning sensations in the muscles that can slow down your athletic activity. For this reason, it may be desirable to reduce lactic acid build up in the muscles.

In order to reduce muscle soreness after a workout, it is necessary to do a proper warm up before exercising, asanas for me, is the best way to warm up because you using your breathing to warm up the whole body.  Surya Namaskar is perfect to warm up because it moves the spine in different directions and the entire body is stretched and strengthened, it´s also a sequence that can be performed by beginners or advanced athletes(sportsmen). Surya Namaskar will loosen the joins, increase the blood and lymphtatic circulation, exercises cardiovascular system and regulates the pingala nadi which is the solar energy channel in the body.





1.Stay hydrated.

2.Breathe deeply.-

The cause of the burning sensation you feel in your muscles while exercising is twofold: it is partly due to the buildup of lactic acid, but it is also due to a lack of oxygen.

You can ameliorate this by paying close attention to your breathing while you exercise. Be sure to take deep breathes in and out at an even pace. Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.


The lack of oxygen could be fixed by practicing Nadi Shodhana before and after the workout in order to help the body gain a higher oxygen level than usual.

3.Work out frequently. Even if they don´t practice their sports daily, they can practice yoga 3 times a week to stretch and strengthen the muscles in a different way.

4.Be cautious when lifting weights. 

5.Decrease the intensity of your workout if you start to feel a burn. 

As you catch your breath, more oxygen will be delivered to your muscles and release the lactic acid. I recommend the Supine poses with a breathing sequence to help the body recover.

6.Stretch after your workout. 


Holding stretching poses like:

  • Eka Pada Uttanpadasana
  • Jathara Parivartanasana
  • Sethu bandhasana
  • Viparita Karani
  • Bhujangasana
  • Adhomukha Shvanasana
  • Paschimottanasana
  • Janu Sirsasana
  • Uttanasana

And ending in savasana with a breathing sequence of inhaling 6 times and exhaling 12 times. It will help the body cool down the right way and help the flow of oxygen through the body. This practice can take 30 minutes, this is the exact time the lactic acid takes to disperse.

Stretch your muscles lightly after any intense exercise, and also use your fingertips to massage the area gently.


7.Stay active and healthy.

At the end, my intention is to show that yoga could fit in any sport. Asanas are tended to fix positions, any movement done wrong in any sport can be fixed or adjusted if they practice yoga for their benefit.