During recovery from intense exercise, the intracellular strong ion difference remains depressed despite declining lactate levels, due to persistent lactate and decreasing potassium concentrations, indicating that potassium dynamics significantly influence intracellular acid-base balance.

After intense exercise, muscle cells still have too much lactate and not enough potassium, which together keep the inside of the cells too acidic even as lactate starts to clear. The lactate pulls down the balance of charged particles inside the cell, and the drop in potassium makes it worse. The cell slowly brings potassium back in and pushes lactate out, but this takes time, so the acidity stays high until both are restored.