Exercise-Induced Lactate and Cognitive Function (ExLBC)
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3), Placebo (Sodium Chloride).
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Cognition, Sodium Bicarbonate, Lactate, Exercise. Basic parameters: 18 years — 35 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Canada
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
The Effect of Exercise-Induced Lactate on BDNF and Cognition
Overview
A single bout of exercise can rapidly improve cognitive functions including memory, attention, and executive functions, which help us navigate through everyday life. However, we do not fully understand the mechanism behind this process. A promising candidate mechanism is lactate, which was previously considered merely a waste product of our muscles during exercise. It is now recognized as an important molecule that is used by the brain as an energy source. Studies have shown that increases in lactate during exercise are positively related to improved cognitive function after completion of exercise. Another potential mechanism involves the increase in neurotrophins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) following exercise. The increase in lactate and BDNF during exercise may be connected to cause these cognitive improvements. However, because lactate increases with higher exercise intensities, we currently do not know how lactate specifically impacts brain health. To address this, muscle and blood lactate concentrations can be experimentally manipulated during exercise using sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation and will allow us to explore how lactate specifically affects brain function. The purpose of this project is to investigate the effect of exercise-induced lactate on BDNF and cognition following oral NaHCO3 supplementation in young adults. We hypothesize that BDNF levels will be higher, and cognition will be improved in executive function, visuospatial memory, and working memory in the NaHCO3 condition due to higher plasma lactate during exercise compared to placebo.
Interventions
- Dietary supplement Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3)
Ingestion of gelatin capsules containing 0.4 g/kg body weight of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) followed by 90 minutes of rest. Continuous high intensity cycling to be performed following 90-minute resting measures. - Other Placebo (Sodium Chloride)
Ingestion of gelatin capsules containing 0.4 g/kg body weight of sodium chloride (NaCl) followed by 90 minutes of rest. Continuous high intensity cycling to be performed following 90-minute resting measures.
Primary outcome measures
- Cognitive Function (Executive Function) [Time frame: 3-hour]
Secondary outcome measures (6)
- Cognitive Function (Working Memory) [Time frame: 3-hour]
- Cognitive Function (Visuospatial Memory) [Time frame: 3-hour]
- Blood Lactate [Time frame: 3-hour]
- Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3) [Time frame: 3-hour]
- Blood pH [Time frame: 3-hour]
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) [Time frame: 3-hour]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Between the ages of 18-35 years old.
- Perform ≥150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity per week.
Exclusion criteria
- Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes.
- Presence of hypoglycaemia.
- History of concussion(s) with persistent symptoms.
- History of mental health conditions.
- History of cardiovascular events requiring hospitalization (e.g., heart attack).
- Pre-existing injuries that prevent completion of aerobic exercise.
- Presence of colour-blindness.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
Study locations
Canada · 1 center
- McMaster University — Hamilton
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06817681 · ExLBC