Lactate infusion at rest increases BDNF blood concentration in humans

Studies in humans use blood lactate to determine the degree of the exercise intensity, suggesting that exercise with elevated blood lactate concentrations results in increased BDNF plasma concentrations. However, it is not clear if lactate per se or rather other mechanisms are responsible for changes in blood BDNF concentrations. The lactate clamp method at rest is an appropriate method to examine physiological responses of lactate on the human organism without the effects of exercise. Eight male sport students placed in a sitting position received intravenous infusions with a 4 molar sodium-lactate solution in an incremental design starting with an infusion rate of 0.01 ml/kgBW/min for the first three minutes, which was increased every three minutes by 0.01 ml/kgBW/min up to 0.08 ml/kg/min in the 24th minute. All together each subject received 4.2 mmol of infusion. Venous blood samples were taken before and immediately after the infusion as well as in the 24th and the 60th min after the infusion period and analysed for BDNF. Blood gases and capillary blood lactate (La) were analysed before the test, every three minutes directly before increasing the infusion rate, at the end of the infusion and in the post infusions period until the 12th min and after 24 and 60 min. BDNF and La increased significantly after the infusion and reached baseline values at the end of the experiment (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively). pH and hydrogen ions increased from the beginning until the end of the infusion period (p < 0.01). This data suggest that blood lactate is involved in the regulation of BDNF blood concentrations.

Research highlights▶ Blood lactate is involved in the regulation of BDNF blood concentrations. ▶ Strengthening the assumption that high intensity exercise increases BDNF in blood. ▶ The lactate clamp can be used to examine BDNF responses in healthy humans.