Exercise, lactate and brain health--introductory material

"It has been well established in epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials that habitual exercise is beneficial for brain health, such as cognition and mental health. Generally, it may be reasonable to say that the physiological benefits of acute exercise can prevent brain disorders in late life if such exercise is habitually/chronically conducted. "

 

 Title:  Effect of Exercise on Brain Health: The Potential Role of Lactate as a Myokine
Takeshi Hashimoto,1 Hayato Tsukamoto,1 Soichi Ando,2 and Shigehiko Ogoh3,*
Metabolites. 2021 Dec; 11(12): 813.
Published online 2021 Nov 29. doi: 10.3390/metabo11120813  PMCID: PMC8709217
PMID: 34940571
Norbert Nemeth, Academic Editor

Effect of Exercise on Brain Health: The Potential Role of Lactate as a Myokine - PMC (nih.gov)

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"Population aging has become a worldwide phenomenon. Degenerative changes in brain structure and function occur with aging, causing a cognitive decline in older adults. In addition to aging, vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson's disease, Huntington and other neurodegenerative diseases, as well as some metabolic diseases such as diabetes, are accompanied by an increased risk of cognitive impairment or dementia. This poses a great challenge to public health and socio-economic development in many countries. However, due to the difficulties in developing new drugs for cognitive impairment, especially in AD, and the lack of drug-specific therapeutics available for the treatment of AD dementia stage, more and more researchers now focus on non-pharmacological intervention.

As an economical and practical non-pharmacological therapy with no toxic side effects, regular exercise was proved to be an effective means for preventing and treating cognitive impairment or dementia, which could reduce the risk of dementia in healthy people and even higher risk gene carriers. The comprehensive health benefits of exercise are systemic, multi-dimensional and multi-organ, including skeletal muscle, cardio-respiratory system, vascular system, liver, fat, and brain. Hormones, exerkines, and metabolites produced by different tissues, and organs during and after exercise are secreted into the blood circulation and then act on brain tissue, thereby playing a neuroprotective role. The discovery of novel mediators associated with exercise and their mechanism of action will be an important development direction in this field."

Title: The potential mechanisms of lactate in mediating exercise-enhanced cognitive function: a dual role as an energy supply substrate and a signaling molecule

Xiangli Xue, Beibei Liu, Jingyun Hu, Xuepeng Bian & Shujie Lou
Nutrition & Metabolism volume 19, Article number: 52 (2022)

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