Lactate is the body’s fountain of youth for the brain.
First off, your brain loves lactate. It’s like its go-to energy drink. See, your mitochondria (those are like the powerhouses of your cells) find it way more efficient to run on lactate than glucose. And here’s the kicker – your brain is actually wired to run on lactate. Your brain’s support cells, called astrocytes, gobble up glucose and spit out lactate for your neurons to use. It’s a clever little system, right?
Now, things get really fascinating. When your neurons run on lactate, they conserve glucose. That conserved glucose gets diverted to create NADPH, a key player in making glutathione, your brain’s top-tier antioxidant. It’s like having a supercharged defense system to keep your brain sharp, young, resilient, and healthy.
Lactate: The Brain-Building Signal
So, lactate is like a power-up for your neurons, but it also triggers a ton of beneficial changes in your brain. One of the big ones is that it promotes the growth of new mitochondria in your neurons. Think of it like leveling up your brain’s energy production.
And remember how we talked about lactate being a signal? Well, when your neurons use more lactate, they start pumping out neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, which helps you focus and be at the top of your game. It’s like a shot of mental clarity.
But the biggest deal might be that lactate signals your brain to produce more BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). BDNF is like the ultimate neuroprotector. It helps your neurons survive and thrive, and it’s key to neuroplasticity – your brain’s ability to adapt and change. Higher BDNF levels mean better memory, sharper cognition, and protection against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. It’s like a youth elixir for your brain.
Lactate: The Blood-Brain Barrier Booster
And the benefits don’t stop there. Lactate also signals the blood-brain barrier (that’s the tight barrier that controls what gets into your brain) to produce more VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor). VEGF is like a call to action for your blood vessels. It promotes angiogenesis, the growth of new tiny vessels, and helps repair damaged ones. Think of it like keeping the roads into your brain clear and flowing.
This is huge, because breakdown of the blood-brain barrier is a major player in brain aging and neuroinflammation. It’s like a vicious cycle that can lead to dementia. So, by promoting healthy blood vessels, lactate is helping to keep your brain young and resilient.
The Bottom Line Solution: Vigorous exercise, such as HIIT training, for a Higher Brain
Now, don’t get me wrong, all exercise is awesome for your brain. The increased blood flow, the improved cardiovascular fitness, the rush of neurotransmitters and endorphins – it all adds up to a brain that’s performing at its best. But there’s something special about HIIT, about pushing yourself to that point where you’re producing a ton of lactate.
It’s like you’re unleashing a cascade of benefits that take your brain to the next level. You’re fueling your neurons, supercharging your defenses, promoting growth and adaptation, and keeping your brain young and resilient. And it’s all thanks to that hard work you’re putting in when you push yourself to the limit.
Okay, last thing I want to touch on is how exercise impacts your mitochondria. Those are the little energy factories inside your cells, and they’re way important for everything from your muscles to your brain to your liver. The problem is, as we age, our mitochondria start to lose their superpower. They get less efficient at cranking out energy, and that’s a problem. But there’s a silver lining – exercise, especially the vigorous kind, can actually increase the number of mitochondria you have. This is called mitochondrial biogenesis, and it’s like your cells are adapting to the demand you’re putting on them by building more of those energy factories.
One of the key ways exercise triggers mitochondrial biogenesis is through the metabolic stress of vigorous exercise. Remember how we were just talking about lactate? When you’re doing HIIT and generating a ton of lactate, that lactate acts as a signal to rev up one of the main pathways that controls mitochondrial biogenesis. So when you’re doing that Norwegian 4×4 protocol or any other kind of intense intervals, the lactate you’re generating is like a signal flare telling your cells to build more mitochondria. And that means they’ll be more efficient at producing energy, which is good news for everything from your workouts to your overall health.
Bottom line, regular vigorous exercise, such as HIIT training, produces Lactate as a way to communicate with your entire body through your circulatory system which leads to a whole host of chain reactions that functions as your brains ultimate fountain of youth.