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Edit: My explanation of Lactic Acid may be inaccurate, but that's just the general idea.
Anyways, thanks everyone for your input! Recently after I started using a new desk, because of the shape and positioning I moved the keyboard quite far into the desk (the edge of the keyboard is about 1 foot away from the edge of the desk), unlike previously where it is just a few inches away. This causes my wrist to rest on the desk and my hand to be slightly elevated above the wrist (I always make keyboard sit up on their stands, not flat on table). I'm guessing this is what's the problem; I'm putting pressure onto the major veins leading right into the hand. I watched Day9's Daily #252 and then I realized I had drastically rearranged my keyboard positioning when I switched desks. Anyways, at least this is what I believe is causing the problem. It feels a just like Lactic Acid but it's not xD.
Hi so to be brief here. If you do not know what Lactic Acid is, read below
It's what your body releases sort of as a form of emergency energy. It's that burning sensation that you feel where you may feel a little tingly, numb, or even cold. This helps in the short-run but is bad health-wise if it occurs too much because essentially the acid is burning you and your muscles.
Now my "casual" APM is at 100, and my high APM when I am trying decently is 120. However, whenever I reach that 120, I start feeling Lactic Acid in my arm (left arm, I use right-handed keyboard set up).
I know that a "good" APM to play at as a pro is 200. However, here is the question.
When progamers play at 200 APM+, do they release Lactic Acid regularly? Let's say around 120 like for me? Or is it that the more accustomed you are to having higher APM, and therefore more strain on your body, your body becomes stronger and doesn't need Lactic Acid as soon? In this case perhaps a progamer would only release Lactic Acid at 180 or so, with 200 being their "trying hard" level of APM.
Reason for this question is simple... so I (and others reading this) are better informed of this and can stay healthy and improve our physical capabilities regarding the wonderful sport that is Starcraft 2. I can't imagine progamers constantly ignoring lactic acid every day and every hour they practice, but I want to be sure so I'm not pushing myself too fast.
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Its something which goes away over time as your body gets used to it.
I used to play Gunz the Duel to a very high level [ Korean made game], which required similiar APM to Starcraft, and for the first month or so, after about 30 mins of practise id feel that burning sensation in my arm, after awhile it went away and I played for near enough 4 years without it bothering me.
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what? I don't think that will happen at 120 APM. Its not about energy, its about oxygen and your not going to be cut off from oxygen in your arm unless your playing at like 1000 APM or you have a really tight rubber band around your arm. Most likely the numbness you feel is a result of some sort of strain in your muscles.
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I highly doubt playing SC2 is strenuous enough to generate lactic acid. I think you are misreading your physical cues.
Secondly, lactic acid doesn't damage your muscle. It's a signal that the muscle is being overworked but the body has compensatory mechanisms to get rid of lactic acid. You'll reach a steady state where as much lactic acid is removed as is being generated. If you do enough physical exercise, you increase the body's capacity to tolerate lactic acid, which is why marathon runners can do a 6 minute mile pace for 26 miles.
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Lactic acid begins building up when your body surpasses its aerobic threshold and you start using anaerobic oxidative pathways to generate the energy your muscles need to keep functioning. It causes the sharp pain that athletes get during hard aerobic workouts, but if you are experiencing lactic acid buildup while playing SC2 then something is wrong or (please take no offense) you're in really bad shape...
I'm no doctor but think it's more likely that you're pinching a nerve or getting a repetitive use injury a-la carpel tunnel. Maybe you should try stretching, changing position, or getting more exercise.
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Lactic acid is produced when the standard energy-generating reactions that take place in the muscles run out of oxygen. So if your muscles are consuming more oxygen than is being sent to them whilst playing sc2 then something is seriously wrong.
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I can't say anything about starcraft, since I average around 70-90 APM, but as a guitarist of 5 years who can play at around 13-15 nps consistently, I have some experience in building up hand speed.
I have never felt the sensation that you're describing after making sure that I was using proper technique, no matter how quickly I was playing. When playing guitar, or other instruments, it is very important for your hands and arms to be very loose, you don't want any tension, or that will cause the kind of feeling you're describing. Try to make sure that you don't have any tension in your arms or hands and make sure that you're in a position that is as comfortable as possible.
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TBH, it sounds like you are tensing up. Lactic acid can be release because you are clenching muscles.
Relax.
Do this excersize for us :
Type like this sd;flkhjasdfgkl;jasdl;fkjasdfl;kjhasdf';klsjdflo;jkhsf';lasdjf8i0[asuerlgkasjdfngvl;khjasdf
I did that in like 2 seconds. Insane apm. No lactic acid. You should be playing that relaxed. Look up the Alexander technique maybe.
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@Ssoulle
Omg I remember that game! Very fun and very "skill-ful" if you will, APM wise.
Ok so I'm a runner and learned from coaches and my health class that lactic acid was pretty much very bad. Good to know that it gets "removed" or whatnot.
This is strange. I'm healthy. I'm not fat, I don't exercise regularly but am still very athletic...
perhaps it is the way I am sitting or something? The way I position my arm? May be where I rest my arm (on a bump on the edge of my table) cuts off a little oxygen to the arm and over time (long long games) it starts causing the lactic acid?
I'm a runner so I know what lactic acid feels like, and it feels exactly like it. It's not the feeling you have when some part of your body falls asleep and feels very ticklish when you touch it.
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Yeah haha, I think you might no be aware what lactic acid is.
Lactic acid also known as Pyrovic acid, and it is an acid that is formed when your body isn't getting enough oxygen. Your body needs oxygen to change pyrovic acid into pyruvate. Which raises your body pH and gives you cramps. And there is absolutely no way your body is reaching it's respiration limits while playing starcraft.
It must be something else like stress or adrenaline. Or you weigh 400 pounds ^^;;
Edit: Im not absolutely sure what the tickling feeling is, but I know I feel it when I am laying down and I put all my weight on my shoulder. So it could be something like the your nerve fibers being compressed and the synaptic signals being interwined giving that weird feeling and tingling. Not absolutely sure however.
Edit2: Muscle fatigue is a very big possibility. Just how when you work out after a while you can't feel your hands, same thing can happen to your fingers. When you start playing games like Starcraft or Guitar Hero, or simply playing instruments in real life can yield a similiar effect. Keep playing and youll get used to it.
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On February 17 2011 12:52 Yoshi Kirishima wrote:
@Ssoulle
Omg I remember that game! Very fun and very "skill-ful" if you will, APM wise.
Ok so I'm a runner and learned from coaches and my health class that lactic acid was pretty much very bad. Good to know that it gets "removed" or whatnot.
This is strange. I'm healthy. I'm not fat, I don't exercise regularly but am still very athletic...
perhaps it is the way I am sitting or something? The way I position my arm? May be where I rest my arm (on a bump on the edge of my table) cuts off a little oxygen to the arm and over time (long long games) it starts causing the lactic acid?
I'm a runner so I know what lactic acid feels like, and it feels exactly like it. It's not the feeling you have when some part of your body falls asleep and feels very ticklish when you touch it.
eh, you probably just have very weak forearm (finger) muscles. Just keep on playing and you'll get over it.
Make sure you are keeping very relaxed arms and hands while playing, if you tense up you are fighting two opposing muscles groups against each other which will tire you out very fast.
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I don't know how to help you OP.
I'd be very interested if someone had any ways to keep down mental exhaustion though. After every game which lasts longer than 20 minutes (I'm Zerg), I'm almost completely exhausted (mentally) even though I only have an average apm of about 170-180 while playing.
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It sounds like you just need to take bigger breaths of air  What skillz_man said is prob the most accurate one so far
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take a break, do warmups and stop if it feels sharp or authentically painful, sore is ok. As a classically trained guitarist at 14 I knew EXACTLY what your talking about, it feels unhealthy when your joints are on fire. As long as you don't overextend yourself and take appropriate breaks youll be fine after a little bit with stronger fingers and wrist muscles to boot.
Also: NEVER play with a sharply bent wrist like at a 90 degree angle. thats really bad for your nerves and will do damage over time.
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Maybe it's just muscle fatigue. As weird as it sounds, your muscles just need to get used to the kind of movements you use to play SC. It's just like finger fatigue when you learn a musical instrument.
The tingles make me think of a circulation issue. Maybe your sitting posture is hurting your back or shoulders, the desk is cutting off circulation where it meets your arm, or inflammation in your arm due to repetitive use is tweaking your nerves. Try stretching and keeping an erect posture while you play.
There's no chance it's lactic acid. SC2 isn't getting any part of your body over your aerobic threshold. Actually, it could be lactic acid caused by a circulation issue (due to inflammation or bad posture) -- but it's nothing to do with your APM increasing your metabolic demand.
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most likly u are experiencing a repetitive strain injury, if it is in ur hands-wrist then make sure u take a sec from playing to stretch them, if it is in ur neck and or ear then u are having neck strain and ur chair may not have proper lumbar support (i.e. lower back) and ur screen may not be at the correct height (correct hight is where ur eye level is in line with the top one third of the screen.
Also make sure u are taking breaks from time to time (eye strain, sore buttocks) and stretching (stiff joints) as well as drinking water (avoids headaches)
try these things and if u continue to experience pain or severe discomfit then i would go to see a doctor or nurse asap
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Lactate and lactic acid differ by one proton. It just depends on what the pH of the tissue in question is. You're just splitting hairs 
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eh, you probably just have very weak forearm (finger) muscles. Just keep on playing and you'll get over it.
Make sure you are keeping very relaxed arms and hands while playing, if you tense up you are fighting two opposing muscles groups against each other which will tire you out very fast.
Perhaps playing Zerg contributes to this a lot, especially when I need to spam 50+ pairs of lings ASAP and I don't know how to do that while holding down the button (still don't get it!)
@heishe
I HAVE THE SOLUTION! That mental exhaustion can easily be fixed in almost every situation by simply eating fruit, ESPECIALLY a banana. Omg in 10 minutes you'll feel so good. Not joking, I try to emphasize this so much, but try it out sometime ^_^.
@FinestHour
Perhaps another part of the problem is me breathing less when I'm playing? I haven't kept track so i don't know if i breathe less.
Maybe it's just muscle fatigue. As weird as it sounds, your muscles just need to get used to the kind of movements you use to play SC. It's just like finger fatigue when you learn a musical instrument.
Then, hopefully the main reason why this is happening is because I'm "reaching new heights" in my APM and speed? I remember back then when my APM was around 80 I would start feeling that numb/burning sensation when I pushed to my then-height of 100 ish.
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It might have to do with how you are holding your mouse, your arm position, and the fashion in which you move your mouse. I basically only make small movements with my hand because I use a high dpi setting on my mouse and I barely move the rest of my arm. I'm able to play around 200 apm fairly easily and without any fatigue. Also, try not to tense up, which I know can be hard because SC games can get tense at times. It's easier to move faster and more smoothly when you're relaxed.
Sidenote: Just hold down z to make a ton of zerglings. They won't start morphing immediately, but after holding the button down for like one second, it will basically morph all of your larva into zerglings in like a second. Just try it in a custom game.
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EPT
