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Lactate fuels the human brain during exercise.

Bjørn Quistorff1, Niels H Secher, Johannes J Van Lieshout

  • 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

FASEB Journal : Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
|July 26, 2008
PubMed
Summary

The human brain can utilize lactate as an energy source during intense activity, challenging the idea that it solely relies on glucose. This lactate uptake is linked to brain activation and adrenergic receptor activity.

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Published on: December 19, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Metabolism
  • Exercise Physiology

Background:

  • The brain traditionally considered an obligatory glucose consumer.
  • Lactate's role in cerebral metabolism under varying physiological conditions is not fully understood.
  • Previous studies suggest limited lactate uptake by the brain at rest or during anesthesia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate cerebral lactate uptake during conditions of increased plasma lactate.
  • To examine the relationship between cerebral metabolic ratio (CMR) and lactate availability.
  • To explore the role of adrenergic receptors in regulating brain substrate utilization.

Main Methods:

  • Measurement of cerebral uptake of glucose, lactate, and oxygen.
  • Calculation of the cerebral metabolic ratio (CMR) under different physiological states (rest, exercise, stress).
  • Pharmacological interventions including beta-adrenergic receptor blockade and epinephrine administration.

Main Results:

  • The brain actively takes up lactate during exercise when plasma lactate is elevated.
  • Cerebral metabolic ratio (CMR) decreases significantly during brain activation, indicating a shift in substrate utilization.
  • Beta(2)-adrenergic receptor activation, stimulated by epinephrine, appears to enhance glucose and lactate transport across the blood-brain barrier.

Conclusions:

  • The human brain can utilize lactate as a significant oxidative substrate, particularly during periods of high demand.
  • Lactate serves as an alternative or supplementary fuel source to glucose for the active brain.
  • Adrenergic signaling, specifically via beta(2) receptors, modulates brain substrate uptake and metabolism.