Monocarboxylate transporters and lactate metabolism in equine athletes: a review.
Abstract: Lactate is known as the end product of anaerobic glycolysis, a pathway that is of key importance during high intensity exercise. Instead of being a waste product lactate is now regarded as a valuable substrate that significantly contributes to the energy production of heart, non-contracting muscles and even brain. The recent cloning of monocarboxylate transporters, a conserved protein family that transports lactate through biological membranes, has given a new insight into the role of lactate in whole body metabolism. This paper reviews current literature on lactate and monocarboxylate transporters with special reference to horses.
Publication Date: 2002-08-14 PubMed ID: 12173504PubMed Central: PMC1764192DOI: 10.1186/1751-0147-43-63Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
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The article examines how lactate, the byproduct of intense exercise, has a vital role in energy production within various biological systems such as the heart, non-contracting muscles and the brain. These findings, especially significant in equine athletes, are facilitated by the discovery of monocarboxylate transporters which transport lactate through biological membranes.
Understanding Lactate Metabolism
- The research discusses lactate, a compound produced through anaerobic glycolysis, a metabolic process that becomes prominent during high-intensity exercise. This process was once thought to result in a waste product, but current research now reveals lactate as a crucial energy resource for different para-physiological components.
- Energy produced from lactate metabolism significantly contributes to the functioning of the heart, non-contracting muscles, and brain. Because these organs and tissues depend on continuous supply of energy, the role of lactate has been underscored in maintaining their normal function.
Monocarboxylate Transporters
- The pivotal role of lactate in energy provision has been further understood through the investigations involving monocarboxylate transporters. These are proteins involved in moving lactate through biological membranes, thereby facilitating its consumption for generating energy.
- The cloning of monocarboxylate transporters has provided researchers with new tools and methods to fully comprehend the complex interplay between lactate production, transport, and utilization, and has provided profound insights into how lactate influences whole-body metabolism.
Application to Equine Athletes
- The impact of these discoveries goes beyond human physiology and has found specific importance in the field of veterinary science, particularly in understanding and enhancing the performance of equine athletes — horses that are trained for competitive sports.
- Given the strenuous physical efforts these horses are subjected to, understanding how lactate contributes to their energy supply chain can lead to the optimization of their diet, training regimen, and overall performance.
- This study provides an overview of current literature that investigates the role of lactate and monocarboxylate transporters in horses, marking a significant evolution in our understanding of equine athletic performance and the ways to improve it.
Cite This Article
APA
Pösö AR.
(2002).
Monocarboxylate transporters and lactate metabolism in equine athletes: a review.
Acta Vet Scand, 43(2), 63-74.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-43-63 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland. reeta.poso@helsinki.fi
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biological Transport
- Energy Metabolism / physiology
- Horses / metabolism
- Lactates / metabolism
- Monocarboxylic Acid Transporters / metabolism
- Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
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