Lactate, often unfairly blamed for causing fatigue and muscle soreness, is actually a valuable fuel that helps your brain function better.

noli's read

Modern research supports this reevaluation: lactate is not a simple metabolic waste product, but a key energy and signaling molecule. Studies, ranging from animal models to human observations, confirm that lactate crosses the blood-brain barrier to serve as an energy substrate for neurons. It also acts as a signaling molecule, stimulating the release of beneficial molecules like BDNF (often described as 'fertilizer' for the brain), which promotes brain plasticity and memory. While the idea that lactate 'improves thinking' is widely validated by biological mechanisms, it is important to note that the direct link between a specific exercise session and an immediate, measurable increase in cognitive scores can vary from one individual to another. The current scientific consensus confirms that exercise increases lactate levels and that this rise is correlated with cognitive benefits, but this does not mean that lactate alone is the sole answer to mental performance.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.