Lactate-induced mitochondrial and metabolic adaptations

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K21249
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0909:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Kenya 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 助教 (40909917)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 乳酸 / ミトコンドリア / 骨格筋

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Lactate production increases during high-intensity exercise, which is recently recognized as a key factor for inducing physiological adaptation, such as mitochondrial biogenesis. Recently, it was reported that high-intensity exercise training increased not only mitochondrial content, but also mitochondrial respiratory function, raising the possibility that lactate may be relevant to adaptation of mitochondrial respiratory function induced by high-intensity exercise training. A hypothesis of this study was therefore that lactate administration would enhance mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle. This study showed that lactate administration altered mitochondrial protein content, enzyme activity, and mitochondrial respiratory function.

Free Research Field

運動生理生化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

運動は、骨格筋ミトコンドリア量だけではなく機能も向上させることで、運動パフォーマンスの改善や健康の保持増進に貢献することが示されつつある。しかしながら、どのような因子が運動による骨格筋ミトコンドリアの機能向上に貢献しているのかについては不明な点が多い。本研究では、乳酸がミトコンドリアの機能を向上させる可能性が示された。したがって、乳酸のデータを活用することで、ミトコンドリア機能向上という観点から、より効果的な運動トレーニングを行うことが期待できる。