Muscle Fuel Utilization with Glycolysis Viewed Right Side Up.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review describing mechanistic concepts of lactate metabolism without empirical data reported in the abstract.
PubMed 40879933 · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-88361-3_1
What was done
This is a narrative review synthesizing concepts of muscle fuel utilization, aerobic lactate formation, and various lactate shuttle pathways, specifically highlighting cell-cell, intracellular, and postprandial lactate shuttles.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values or statistical findings. It outlines that lactate is continuously produced under aerobic conditions to serve as a primary energy substrate, gluconeogenic precursor, and signaling molecule, and describes the postprandial lactate shuttle as initiating carbohydrate conversion in the gut prior to systemic circulation and muscle uptake.
Why it matters
It outlines a conceptual framework reframing lactate from a metabolic waste product into a central coordinator of whole-body carbohydrate flux.
Limits
The abstract contains no empirical data, sample size, search methodology, or quantitative verification of the proposed shuttle phases.
Cited by
- supports Lactate produced during exercise is used by the heart and brain as a preferred source of energy.
- supports Glycolysis and lactate production occur continuously in all cells, where lactate acts as a fuel, a precursor for blood glucose, and a signaling molecule.