Lactate infusion at rest increases BDNF blood concentration in humans.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Uncontrolled single-arm interventional trial (case series / before-after study without a control group).
PubMed 21094220 · doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2010.11.035
What was done
Eight male sports students seated at rest received an incremental intravenous infusion of a 4-molar sodium-lactate solution over 24 minutes (starting at 0.01 ml/kg/min and escalating every 3 minutes up to 0.08 ml/kg/min; total dose 4.2 mmol). Venous BDNF levels were measured before, immediately after, and at 24 and 60 minutes post-infusion. Capillary blood lactate and blood gases were monitored before, during, and up to 60 minutes post-infusion.
What was found
Blood BDNF and capillary lactate increased significantly after the infusion and returned to baseline values by the end of the experiment (p < 0.05 for BDNF, p < 0.01 for lactate). Blood pH and hydrogen ions also increased significantly across the infusion period (p < 0.01). Absolute numerical concentrations and effect sizes were not provided in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study isolates the effect of elevated blood lactate from the mechanical and physiological stressors of physical exercise, suggesting that lactate itself can stimulate peripheral BDNF increases in humans.
Limits
The sample size is very small (n = 8) and restricted to young male athletes. There was no control or sham infusion group (e.g., saline), preventing control for volume or placebo effects. Central nervous system BDNF was not directly measured.
Cited by
- supports Lactate produced during high-intensity exercise readily crosses into the brain and stimulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) production.