Lactic acid or lactate is an acidic byproduct of glucose which has been incompletely metabolised.
Let's review the Cell
At its simplest, cells need glucose to make energy.
The energy is a chemical called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Now without boring you to death... Just know that a chemical chain reaction involving oxygen is needed inside the cell to convert that glucose to energy.
Glycolysis is the first step which is where Glucose is split into two molecules of pyruvate. Next, pyruvate and oxygen combine to enter a reaction called the Krebs cycle.
But... If no oxygen is available, pyruvate is expelled from the cell, and it is converted into
Lactate.
Being acid, lactate build up causes lactic acidosis. Haemoglobin that is a acidotic is reluctant to carry oxygen to cells.
The irony is the less oxygen available to the cells, the more lactic acidosis.
I viscous cycle.
Lactate can be converted back to Glucose in the liver, but again, it is an oxygen dependant process.
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