During exercise, the human brain shifts into high gear on 'alternative energy'

October 01, 2008

New article in the FASEB Journal shows that the brain uses lactate not glucose as fuel

Alternative energy is all the rage in major media headlines, but for the human brain, this is old news. According to a study by researchers from Denmark and The Netherlands published in the October 2008 print issue of The FASEB Journal, the brain, just like muscles, works harder during strenuous exercise and is fueled by lactate, rather than glucose. Not only does this finding help explain why the brain is able to work properly when the body's demands for fuel and oxygen are highest, but it goes a step further to show that the brain actually shifts into a higher gear in terms of activity. This opens doors to entirely new areas of brain research related to understanding lactate's specific neurological effects.

"Now that we know the brain can run on lactate, so to speak, future studies should show us when to use lactate as part of a treatment," said Gerald Weissmann, MD, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "From an evolutionary perspective, the result of this study is a no-brainer. Imagine what could have or did happen to all of the organisms that lost their wits along with their glucose when running from predators. They were obviously a light snack for the animals able to use lactate."

To reach their conclusion, the researchers looked at research that compared the blood running to and from the heads of volunteers undergoing strenuous exercise. They found that the blood on its way to the brain contained considerably more lactate than blood flowing from the brain. Further investigation showed that the brain was not storing the lactate which had come from the muscles during exercise, but rather using it as fuel. In fact, the brain helped to clear lactate from the circulation, thereby leaving glucose to the muscles that need it for the hard work they were performing.

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

---

---

	5-Minute Miracle Exercises: Lose 5 Pounds in 2 Weeks - Only 5 Minutes a Day! by MakeRight Publishing If you would like to lose a solid 5 pounds in the next two weeks while exercising just 5 minutes per day (and without changing your diet) then this new book by America's Weight Loss Queen Jennifer Jolan will show you how. The book is here and entitled: "5-Minute Miracle Exercises" And it contains two secret exercises (you will probably never see any of today's "fitness gurus" talk about) that promote quick fat loss even if you don't change a thing about your current diet. How fast does this method work? Let's put it this way: You'll see the difference in the mirror by the 2nd week (losing AT LEAST 5 pounds -- if not more -- of fat). All with two (really simple) exercises and without leaving your home (you can even do these...
	You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises by Mark Lauren (Author), Joshua Clark (Author) From an elite Special Operations physical trainer, an ingeniously simple, rapid-results, do-anywhere program for getting into amazing shape. As the demand for Special Operations military forces has grown over the last decade, elite trainer Mark Lauren has been at the front lines of preparing nearly one thousand soldiers, getting them lean and strong in record time. Now, for regular Joes and Janes, he shares the secret to his amazingly effective regimen—simple exercises that require nothing more than the resistance of your own bodyweight to help you reach the pinnacle of fitness and look better than ever before. Armed with Mark Lauren’s motivation techniques, expert training, and nutrition advice, you’ll see rapid results by working out just thirty minutes a...
	The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises: Four Weeks to a Leaner, Stronger, More Muscular YOU! by Adam Campbell (Author) The Men’s Health Big Book of Exercises is the essential workout guide for anyone who wants a better body. As the most comprehensive collection of exercises ever created, this book is a body-shaping power tool for both beginners and longtime lifters alike. From start to finish, this 480-page muscle manual bulges with hundreds of useful tips, the latest findings in exercise science, and cutting-edge workouts from the world's top trainers.   Inside The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises you'll find 619 exercises expertly demonstrated with color photographs, with dozens of movements for every muscle in your body, including: * More than 100 core exercises! You'll never run out of ways to sculpt your six-pack. * 74 biceps, triceps, and forearm exercises: Build your arms...
	Common Sense, How to Exercise It by Mme. Blanchard Yoritomo-Tashi (Author) Common Sense, How to Exercise It is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Mme. Blanchard Yoritomo-Tashi is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Mme. Blanchard Yoritomo-Tashi then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.
	Lose Weight WITHOUT Dieting (Animal Kingdom Workouts) Diets don't work. Studies have shown that only 5 percent of people who go on a diet are able to keep the weight off for more than a year. Yet even with this 95 percent failure rate the weight loss industry continues to flood the market with new diets and useless gimmicks. What's the secret to true, long lasting weight loss? The key is to focus on your habits as they relate to food, not dieting. Unlike animals in nature, human beings acquire a whole host of unnatural habits related to food without even realizing it. By changing these habits, most of which you are probably not even aware off, you can start to lose weight naturally and easily. Get off the Diet roller coaster and start losing weight WITHOUT dieting today! Now updated with many natural bodyweight exercises that can help anyone...
	101 Ways to Work Out with Weights: Effective Exercises to Sculpt Your Body and Burn Fat! by Cindy Whitmarsh (Author), Kerri Walsh (Foreword) A book for women who want to improve or start a weight-lifting routine.Another follow-up to our successful 101 Ways to Work Out on the Ball, this book targets another piece of inexpensive yet powerful equipment - dumbbells. Many people buy them but either use them incorrectly or not at all because they're not sure how. This book gives 101 different exercises for upper and lower body that you can do in the gym or at home. Strength training can actually change the shape of your body, improve your metabolism, and build bone strength - but most women aren't sure how to do it. This book makes it easy to reap the enormous benefits of weight training?in your own home.
	Anatomy of Exercise: A Trainer's Inside Guide to Your Workout by Pat Manocchia (Author) Anatomy of Exercise is revolutionary for its insights into how different muscles of the body actually work during exercise. The book is organized by body area and shows common sequences in the progression of a typical workout. Lifelike anatomical illustrations demonstrate each exercise and reveal in colorful detail exactly which muscles are engaged, which are being conditioned and how those muscles respond. The following features help the reader gain the greatest benefit from each exercise and thereby improve fitness and well-being: Detailed, full-color anatomical illustrations for all the exercises Annotations identifying the active and stabilizing muscles Concise how-to instructions for each exercise Identification of the specific muscles that benefit the most from each...
	The Effortless Exercise System For Men - How to Get Bigger, Stronger & More Ripped Without Sweating by MakeRight Publishing If you're interested in getting super ripped in the fastest time possible...without steroids, good genetics or having to lift a single weight (or even leave your home!)... then this new book will show you how an "elite" group of Russian military soldiers do it. And why you can now do the same thing -- quickly, efficiently, and, yes... effortlessly. In fact, the book is called: "Effortless Exercise System For Men" And it's based off on recent discoveries from Russia's most dangerous Spetsnaz Special Forces soldier and a group of Bulgarian Olympic weight lifters for getting in ridiculous shape in days and weeks instead of months and years. Here are some of the secrets you'll learn inside: How to "trick" your central nervous system into...
	Wallie Exercises by Steve Ettinger (Author), Pete Proctor (Illustrator) Wallie is mostly a wonderful dog, but his super-laziness has become a problem. So his boy convinces him to go on an adventure to get fit. With a little help from a big friend, Wallie learns how to exercise. Will he enjoy the change from pudgy pup to healthy hound or will he return to his lazy ways? Learn important fitness concepts while following Wallie on his hilarious journey to get in shape. A special section with more information and original exercises (performed by Wallie) will get every kid (and pup) excited about exercise.