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The body produces lactic acid when cells break down carbohydrates for energy. This happens during intense physical activity, when the body can’t get oxygen to your cells quickly enough and needs another energy source (lactic acid).
Lactic acid buildup isn’t responsible for muscle soreness after a tough workout (scientists used to think this was the case). But it can contribute to painful muscle cramping during exercise.
Increasing your fitness level is a well-known way to reduce lactic acid buildup during physical activity. Here’s what the science says about lactic acid and exercise, plus four foods and supplements that some researchers think may help.
Why Lactic Acid Builds Up in Muscles During Exercise
During intense exercise, you breathe faster as your body attempts to transport more oxygen to the muscles. Normally, energy — specifically, aerobic energy — is generated using oxygen. However, when your lungs can’t keep up with energy demands, such as during sprinting or heavy weight lifting, your body uses anaerobic energy.
In one process, called anaerobic glycolysis, glucose is broken down into an acidic substance called lactate, a shortcut that allows energy production to continue even when oxygen is limited.
The problem is that high levels of lactic acid in muscles can cause cramping. This accumulation of lactate stops when you slow down and oxygen is available again, but your athletic performance typically declines at the onset of painful lactic acid buildup.
Increasing your physical fitness level is the primary way to decrease lactic acid buildup during a workout (and avoid uncomfortable cramping). What’s happening is that as you get fitter, the body uses less oxygen to produce the same results, so it takes longer for the available oxygen to be used up and for the body to start producing lactic acid.
4 Foods That May Help Reduce Lactic Acid Buildup
Increasing your fitness level is a known way to lessen lactic acid buildup during your workouts. But there is some evidence that the following foods and supplements may also play a role (albeit a small one, in some cases).
1. Dietary Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
Bicarbonate is alkaline, and your body produces it to help maintain the proper pH (or a healthy balance of acidic and basic fluids, which are necessary for multiple chemical reactions needed for basic functioning, including digestion and metabolism).
Some research suggests that supplementing with sodium bicarbonate (or baking soda) can help quicken lactic acid removal after it builds up and improve athletic performance during high-intensity exercise.
Supplementing with bicarbonate is as easy as stirring baking soda into water. But this lactic acid hack isn’t yet ready for prime time. Researchers have noted gastrointestinal issues (including abdominal pain and diarrhea) in those who have tried supplementing with sodium bicarbonate for exercise.
2. New Zealand Sujon Black Currants
The New Zealand Sujon black currant is a dark-purple berry that’s said to have the world’s highest concentration of antioxidants and flavonoids. A small study from 2015 tested Sujon black currant powder in elite triathletes and found that it helped reduce lactic acid buildup in their legs and quickened the removal of the burning by-product. But the study was small, with just 13 athletes, whom it followed for one week.
Sujon black currant supplementation has also been shown to improve cardiovascular function by increasing stroke volume, which is the amount of blood your heart can move with each pump. Blood washes out lactic acid.
But a more recent review of black current supplementation for exercise concluded that research on the topic is still limited.
3. Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in the human body, and getting enough of it is essential for optimal sports and exercise performance. The body uses magnesium to build proteins, for healthy nerve function, and for muscle contraction, such as the beating of your heart and voluntary movements of your large skeletal muscles.
There is evidence that magnesium supplementation may improve workouts by improving performance and recovery, as well as lessening muscle soreness. The effect of magnesium on lessening lactic acid buildup (or helping to clear it faster) is less studied. One small trial, however, showed that supplementing with magnesium was linked to decreased lactate levels. The study followed 30 individuals who trained for 90 to 120 minutes, five days per week. Lactate levels were measured twice at the beginning and end of the four-week study period (both at the beginning of participants’ workouts and at the end).
4. Water
Being hydrated during exercise enhances performance and decreases the risks of overheating and injury. Dehydration can also worsen cramping from lactic acid buildup.
To make sure you’re adequately hydrated, monitor the color of your urine. A lemonade color indicates healthy hydration, while an apple juice color suggests dehydration. Water, sports drinks, and other electrolyte-replacing fluids, such as coconut water, can all help keep you hydrated.
The Takeaway
Lactic acid builds up during intense physical activity as a by-product of your cells breaking down carbohydrates for energy when enough oxygen is not around. It doesn’t cause muscle soreness, but it can cause cramping during exercise.
Increasing your fitness level is the primary way to reduce lactic acid buildup during exercise. The fitter you are, the more intense the exercise will need to be before your body starts producing lactic acid.
Researchers have investigated whether certain foods or supplements may help prevent lactic acid buildup during exercise. Staying hydrated is definitely important. Whether other foods or supplements can help lessen lactic acid buildup is less clear.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Willems MET. Anthocyanin-Rich Blackcurrant Supplementation as a Nutraceutical Ergogenic Aid for Exercise Performance and Recovery: A Narrative Review. Current Developments in Nutrition. January 2025.
Tarsitano MG et al. Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Muscle Soreness in Different Type of Physical Activities: Systematic Review. Journal of Translational Medicine. July 5, 2024.
Cinar V et al. The Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Lactate Levels of Sportsmen and Sedanter. Acta Physiologica Hungarica. June 2006.
Tara Collingwood, RDN, is a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, an American College of Sports Medicine–certified personal trainer, and a media spokesperson. As a sports dietitian, she has worked with the U.S. Tennis Association, the Orlando Magic, World Wrestling Entertainment, runDisney, the University of Central Florida, and numerous professional and amateur athletes. Collingwood is the author of Pregnancy Cooking and Nutrition for Dummies and a coauthor of the Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies.
She appears regularly on national and local TV, and speaks around the world to business teams on how to manage energy physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. She previously served as a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Collingwood double-majored in dietetics as well as nutrition, fitness, and health at Purdue University and earned a master's degree in health promotion from Purdue University.
Rachel Ewing is a licensed dietitian and expert in nutrition. She is a former NCAA Division One cross country and track athlete and practices holistic nutrition counseling at nutritionwithrachel.com.
