Does Lactic Acid Really Cause Muscle Pain?

The video debunks the misconception that lactic acid causes muscle pain during exercise. It traces the origins of this belief to Otto Meyerhof's 1920s experiments, which incorrectly linked lactate buildup to muscle fatigue. Modern research shows that lactate actually helps reduce muscle acidity by bonding with protons. The video clarifies that muscle soreness is due to microscopic tears, not lactate. It emphasizes the importance of distinguishing correlation from causation in scientific hypotheses.

What did Meyerhof incorrectly assume about lactate and muscle fatigue?

What recent findings challenge the traditional view of lactate's role in muscle soreness?