Understanding Lactate's Role in Performance

Aug 18, 2024

The Science and Practice of Enhancing Human Performance

Introduction

  • Presenter: Dr. Andy Galpin, Professor of Kinesiology at Cal State Fullerton
  • Topic: Clarifying misconceptions about lactate (often confused with lactic acid)
  • Thesis: Lactate is beneficial and essential in physiology, not a negative waste product

Common Misconceptions About Lactate

  • Myth: Lactate causes muscle fatigue
  • Truth: Lactate helps preserve muscle performance and has numerous benefits

Benefits of Lactate

  • Mitochondrial Biogenesis: Lactate stimulates PGC1 Alpha, promoting the creation of more mitochondria
  • Testosterone and Hormonal Benefits: Targets Leydig cells affecting testosterone production
  • Brain Health: Enhances neurogenesis through BDNF and affects brain-derived neurotrophic factor
  • Vascular Health: Promotes angiogenesis via VEGF
  • Appetite Regulation: Acts on the hypothalamus to suppress appetite
  • Metabolic Benefits: Involves in gluconeogenesis, bone remodeling, and enhances metabolic flexibility

Historical Understanding of Lactate

  • 1708: Discovery of lactate in sour milk (initially called milk acid)
  • 1808: Burgess associated lactate with physical stress in animals (hunted stags)
  • 1907: Hopkins and Fletcher identified lactate as a byproduct of muscle contraction
  • 1983: George Brooks developed the lactate shuttle hypothesis

Lactate in Metabolism

  • Role: Primary energy source for mitochondrial respiration, precursor for gluconeogenesis, signaling molecule
  • Metabolic Flexibility: The ability to use both fats and carbohydrates efficiently
  • Aerobic vs Anaerobic Metabolism: Not a tug-of-war but a cooperative system where lactate serves as a signal

Lactate and Exercise

  • Lactate Production: Not due to oxygen insufficiency but is always an end-product of anaerobic metabolism
  • Lactate Shuttle: Transports lactate to various tissues (muscle fibers, brain, heart, liver)
  • Exercise Performance: Athletes with higher lactate tolerance tend to perform better

Measuring Lactate

  • Methods: Blood analysis using lactate analyzers, lactate threshold tests
  • Lactate Threshold: Indicates at what point lactate production exceeds clearance ability

Lactate Supplementation and Research

  • Supplements: Lactate supplementation shows variable effects, promising in brain injury treatment

Exercise Strategies for Lactate Management

  • Training Modalities: Low intensity (Zone 2), moderate intensity, high-intensity intervals, sprint intervals
  • Recovery and Adaptation: Balance between low and high intensity for recovery and performance improvements

Conclusion

  • Takeaways: Lactate is crucial in human physiology for energy, signaling, and adaptation
  • Future Research: Continues to explore lactate's role in health and performance

Miscellaneous

  • Sponsor Acknowledgments: Momentus, David Protein Bars, AG1, Renaissance Periodization, Continuum
  • Call to Action: Subscribe, support sponsors, and share the episode

These notes summarize the key points from Dr. Andy Galpin's lecture on lactate and its role in enhancing human performance, both in sports and daily life.