Overview
- Researchers infused sodium lactate for one hour in a randomized crossover design with 18 healthy adults, reaching blood levels comparable to medium–high intensity exercise.
- Plasma pro-BDNF rose 15 minutes after infusion and remained elevated for about two hours, whereas mature BDNF in plasma and serum did not change.
- Muscle pro-BDNF levels were unchanged, though baseline muscle pro-BDNF expression correlated with the proportion of type I muscle fiber area among participants.
- Authors emphasized that lactate infusion is not a replacement for exercise and recommended regular high-intensity workouts for brain health.
- Findings support lactate as a mediator of some exercise-linked brain signals, with calls for CNS-focused measurements, larger and more diverse cohorts, and mechanistic studies to assess therapeutic potential.