"Last week, I wrote a post about how high-intensity aerobic exercise can stimulate the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF), a protein that's often described as Miracle-Gro for the brain. This week, new research takes us one step closer to understanding how BDNF is regulated. Scientists have shown that lactate-the molecule your muscles churn out when they're burning during vigorous workouts-may be the key molecular messenger that gets BDNF flowing."
"From "Lactic Acid Burn" to Brain Fertilizer When you exercise at a high intensity, your muscles demand more energy than oxygen delivery can supply. Typically, glucose is broken down into pyruvate and processed with oxygen to make ATP, the body's energy currency. But when oxygen is limited, the body shifts gears to anaerobic glycolysis to keep producing energy. In this oxygen-limited state, pyruvate is converted into lactate, allowing ATP production to continue."
High-intensity exercise forces muscles into anaerobic glycolysis when oxygen delivery cannot meet energy demand, converting pyruvate into lactate to sustain ATP production. Lactate accumulates in muscle and blood once exercise surpasses the lactate threshold, producing the familiar burning sensation. Lactate functions as a signaling molecule that increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, which supports neurogenesis, enhances synaptic strength, and promotes neuroplasticity. Persisting through intense muscle burn raises lactate and BDNF, potentially fueling brain growth and strengthening cognitive and neural connections. Targeted bursts of high-intensity effort maximize lactate production and the associated BDNF response.
Read at Psychology Today
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