Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Lactate--a signal coordinating cell and systemic function.

Andrew Philp1, Adam L Macdonald, Peter W Watt

  • 1Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Chelsea School Research Centre, Welkin Performance Laboratories, Eastbourne, BN20 7SP, UK. a.philp@brighton.ac.uk

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|December 6, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A decline in skeletal muscle NOX4 abrogates exercise-induced adaptive homeostasis and exacerbates biological aging.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Anabolic and catabolic responses to different modes of exercise in patients with chronic kidney disease.

BMC nephrology·2026
Same author

Targeting the NPY/NPY1R signaling axis in mutant p53-dependent pancreatic cancer impairs metastasis.

Science advances·2025
Same author

Endonuclease G promotes hepatic mitochondrial respiration by selectively increasing mitochondrial tRNA<sup>Thr</sup> production.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Anabolic Sensitivity in Healthy, Lean, Older Men Is Associated With Higher Expression of Amino Acid Sensors and mTORC1 Activators Compared to Young.

Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle·2024
Same author

Ageing leads to selective type II myofibre deterioration and denervation independent of reinnervative capacity in human skeletal muscle.

Experimental physiology·2024
Same journal

Differential responses to photoperiod in juveniles of two migratory songbird species.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same journal

A Drosophila overgrowth model reveals extracellular matrix crosslinking limits cardiovascular scaling.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same journal

Control of High-speed Jumps: Removing rotation from the jumps of locusts (Schistocerca gregaria).

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same journal

Limits and mechanisms of honey bee colonial thermoregulation in the heat.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same journal

Correction: Sprinting performance is linked to surface activity in scorpions.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same journal

Tactile pup loss and acoustic signal enhance selective maternal retrieval behavior in echolocating bats, Pipistrellus abramus.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
See all related articles

Lactate, once considered a waste product, is now understood as an active metabolite with signaling capabilities. Emerging research explores its role in metabolic regulation and muscle function, moving beyond its historical association with exercise exhaustion.

Area of Science:

  • Exercise Physiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Metabolic Signaling

Background:

  • Historically, lactate (lactic acid) was viewed as a metabolic waste product linked to exercise-induced fatigue.
  • Recent research indicates lactate is an active metabolite with diverse roles beyond energy production.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the historical perspective of lactate's role in physiology.
  • To explore the emerging hypothesis of lactate as a metabolic signaling compound.
  • To discuss novel methodologies for investigating lactate's function.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of historical and contemporary research on lactate.
  • Discussion of cellular mechanisms, including monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoforms.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Identification of future research directions utilizing advanced technologies.

    • Main Results:

    • Lactate actively participates in cellular metabolism, capable of being oxidized as fuel or converted to pyruvate/glucose.
    • Evidence suggests lactate may function as a pseudo-hormone, influencing systemic metabolic processes.
    • Lactate's potential role in coordinating the autonomic nervous system and maintaining muscle excitability is under investigation.

    Conclusions:

    • Lactate's role has evolved from a waste product to a dynamic signaling molecule.
    • Further research using advanced techniques is crucial to fully elucidate lactate's complex physiological functions.
    • Understanding lactate as a signaling compound opens new avenues in metabolic and exercise physiology research.