Lactic acid buildup is caused by what?

Answer 1

As you perform strenuous exercise, your breathing increases in an attempt to send more oxygen to your working muscles. Although the body prefers to generate most of its energy by using oxygen in an aerobic method, strenuous activities require energy production faster than our bodies can adequately deliver oxygen to. Because of this, muscles generate energy anaerobically, with energy coming from glucose through a process called glycolysis, where glucose is broken down into a substance called pyruvate. When the body has enough oxygen, pyruvate is sent to an aerobic pathway to be broken down for more energy. When energy is limited, the body converts pyruvate into a substance called lactate, which allows glucose to breakdown to continue energy production.