Research
Hormonal
Lactate acts as a signaling molecule ('lactormone') that regulates gene expression, mitochondrial biogenesis, and metabolic partitioning through mechanisms including histone lactylation and receptor binding.
Regular exercise increases lactate, which signals your body to build more mitochondria and improve metabolic health. This is a beneficial adaptive response, not a sign of damage.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Lactate is the major gluconeogenic precursor [12,48,110,160]; and 3] lactate is a signaling molecule with autocrine-, paracrine- and endocrine-like effects and is referred to as a 'lactormone' [16,19,75].
Why this rating
Supported by genomic studies, PCR, and EMSA methods showing gene upregulation.
Source
Lactate as a fulcrum of metabolism
George A. Brooks · Redox Biology · 2020
DOI 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101454
narrative_reviewCited 691×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Lactate is a primary energy substrate for mitochondrial respiration and a major gluconeogenic precursor, formed under fully aerobic conditions rather than solely during oxygen deficiency.Good
- Lactate inhibits lipolysis in adipose tissue via HCAR-1 receptor binding and inhibits mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation via malonyl-CoA, thereby controlling energy substrate partitioning.Good
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