Question

Sports physiologists at an Olympic training center want to monitor athletes to determine at what point their muscles are functioning anaerobically. What chemical would build up in the muscles to alert them to a switch from aerobic to anaerobic functioning? Explain your reasoning.

Answer 1

The answer to this question is lactic acid. The reason why sports psychologists would need to look for a buildup of this chemical is because it is the chemical that produces pain or "feeling the burn" in an exercise when someone pushes their limit. Also, after so long, a person with a lactic acid buildup needs to take a break because high levels of lactic acid is dangerous for the bloodstream.