During intense exercise, muscles release substances like lactate and succinate that may act as signals to other organs, but it is unclear whether these substances are intentionally sent as messages or are just waste products of energy production.
Evidence from Studies
No evidence studies found yet.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
Whether lactate or succinate administration in humans replicates exercise-induced metabolic or inflammatory effects independent of muscle contraction.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of all human studies administering intravenous lactate or succinate at exercise-mimetic concentrations (e.g., 5–10 mM lactate, 100–500 µM succinate) to healthy adults, measuring changes in insulin sensitivity, adipose lipolysis, and inflammatory cytokines, compared to saline controls.
Whether blocking lactate or succinate receptors during exercise abolishes metabolic adaptations.
A double-blind RCT of 60 healthy adults randomized to receive a SUCNR1 antagonist (e.g., NF-56) or placebo before a 45-minute HIIT session, measuring changes in post-exercise insulin sensitivity, adipose tissue lipolysis, and circulating IL-6 as primary endpoints.
Whether post-exercise lactate or succinate levels predict long-term metabolic improvements in response to training.
A prospective cohort of 400 adults undergoing 16 weeks of supervised HIIT, measuring plasma lactate and succinate immediately post-exercise at baseline and week 16, with outcomes including HOMA-IR, liver fat, and VO2max measured at 6 and 12 months.
Whether individuals with impaired metabolic adaptation to exercise have altered lactate or succinate kinetics.
A case-control study comparing lactate and succinate clearance rates (via tracer infusion) and receptor expression (muscle biopsy) in 25 exercise non-responders versus 25 responders after 12 weeks of standardized HIIT.
Whether circulating lactate or succinate levels correlate with metabolic health markers in active individuals.
A cross-sectional analysis of 300 physically active adults measuring fasting and post-exercise plasma lactate and succinate alongside HOMA-IR, visceral fat volume, and mitochondrial function (via muscle biopsy), with samples collected under standardized conditions.