Research
Macro partitioning
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.
During high-intensity exercise, your body temporarily shifts away from burning fat to use lactate as fuel. This is a normal metabolic switch, not a failure of fat loss mechanisms.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
By inhibiting lipolysis in adipose via HCAR-1, and muscle mitochondrial fatty acid uptake via malonyl-CoA and CPT1, lactate controls energy substrate partitioning.
Why this rating
Supported by studies on dogs, humans, and molecular mechanisms.
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
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