Quote:
Originally Posted by gzent  Or, if you're fortunate enough to know a trumpet-playing MD, ask them about such things and you will learn that human lips are contructed of soft tissue, not muscle. Therefore, the lips are not subject to the effects of acidosis, the condition associated with increases in lactate concentration during heavy exercise arising from a separate reaction in muscle tissue, not soft tissue.
To quote my MD friend, "only rest, cold compresses or anti-inflamtory drugs like Advil will help 'tired lips'". |
Wait a minute Greg. Aren't the lips held in place and manipulated by muscles? If so, those muscles can weaken under the influence of acidosis.
If we merely squeezed our lips between our jaw bones and teeth, then I might agree with your doctor friend, but we actually pucker them, roll them in and out and make many little adjustments that wouldn't be possible without muscles. (I actually used to smash my lips against my teeth using the mouthpiece and my strong right arm, but that's another story. My current, more efficient embouchure gets a lot more support from the facial muscles than my right arm.)
Dave