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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
05:26
Postconditioning with Lactate-enriched Blood for Cardioprotection in ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Published on: May 28, 2019
Lactate as a Cardiovascular Exerkine: Mechanisms, Signaling Pathways, and Clinical Implications
Francesco Vari1, Ilaria Serra1,2, Elisa Bisconti1
1Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Biomolecules
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Lactate, once viewed as a waste product, is now recognized as a key signaling molecule. Exercise dramatically increases lactate, influencing cardiovascular health and adaptation through various mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Metabolic Signaling
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Lactate was traditionally considered a metabolic by-product of anaerobic glycolysis.
- Emerging evidence highlights lactate as a multifunctional metabolic intermediate and signaling molecule.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review lactate's role in cardiovascular physiology and disease.
- To explore lactate's mechanisms as an exercise-induced exerkine.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of current evidence on lactate.
- Focus on myocardial metabolism, signaling pathways, and therapeutic implications.
Main Results:
- Lactate acts as an exercise-responsive metabolite (exerkine) mediating cardiometabolic adaptation.
- Lactate influences myocardial energy production, vascular tone, endothelial function, and cardiac remodeling.
- Mechanisms include HCAR1/GPR81 signaling, redox balance modulation, and protein lactylation.
Conclusions:
- Exercise-derived lactate is a context-dependent cardiovascular exerkine.
- Lactate has significant therapeutic implications for cardiovascular diseases like heart failure and atherosclerosis.
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