Research

Mixed

A single bout of endurance or resistance exercise significantly alters the concentrations of 196 distinct metabolites within 24 hours, with consistent increases in energy metabolism markers (lactate, pyruvate, fatty acids, acylcarnitines, ketone bodies) and consistent decreases in bile acids.

If you are looking to understand how your body responds to a workout, know that it is a massive metabolic event. Expect increases in energy substrates (fats, ketones, lactate) and decreases in digestive aids (bile acids) for up to 24 hours. This data is best used by researchers to identify biomarkers rather than by individuals for direct training adjustments.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Lactate, pyruvate, TCA cycle intermediates, fatty acids, acylcarnitines, and ketone bodies all typically increase after exercise, whereas bile acids decrease.
Daniela Schranner et al. · Sports Medicine - Open · 2020

Why this rating

Based on a systematic review of 27 studies and 57 experiments, providing robust aggregate data, though heterogeneity in exercise modes exists.

Source

Metabolite Concentration Changes in Humans After a Bout of Exercise: a Systematic Review of Exercise Metabolomics Studies

Daniela Schranner et al. · Sports Medicine - Open · 2020

DOI 10.1186/s40798-020-0238-4

systematic_review · n=540Cited 234×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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