How is lactic acid removed in the slow component / replenishment stage?

How is lactic acid removed in the slow component / replenishment stage?

• A. Transported in the blood to the liver where it is converted to glucose via the Cori cycle.
• B. Removed in sweat and urine.
• C. Oxidation into carbon dioxide and water in the inactive muscles and organs, used by the muscles as energy.
• D. Converted into urea.

Answer: (C)

During recovery, the body relies on oxidative processes to repay oxygen debt and restore energy stores. Lactate produced during intense exercise is taken up by tissues with mitochondria—such as resting muscles and other organs—and oxidized to carbon dioxide and water. This oxidation provides usable energy, helping to replenish ATP and phosphocreatine stores during the slow component of recovery. Other routes like removal via sweat or urine are negligible, converting lactate to urea isn’t relevant, and while lactate can be shuttled to the liver to be turned back into glucose (the Cori cycle), that pathway is slower and not the immediate energy source described in the replenishment phase.

During recovery, the body relies on oxidative processes to repay oxygen debt and restore energy stores. Lactate produced during intense exercise is taken up by tissues with mitochondria—such as resting muscles and other organs—and oxidized to carbon dioxide and water. This oxidation provides usable energy, helping to replenish ATP and phosphocreatine stores during the slow component of recovery.

Other routes like removal via sweat or urine are negligible, converting lactate to urea isn’t relevant, and while lactate can be shuttled to the liver to be turned back into glucose (the Cori cycle), that pathway is slower and not the immediate energy source described in the replenishment phase.