Exercise-Induced Lactate and Cognitive Function (ExLBC)

NCT06817681 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: ExLBC
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 32
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Cognition; Sodium Bicarbonate; Lactate; Exercise

Keywords

Lactate; Sodium Bicarbonate; NaHCO3; Cognition; Executive Function; Acute Exercise

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Cognitive Function (Executive Function)

  The Stroop Task will be used to measure executive function (selective attention and inhibitory control).

  3-hour

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Cognitive Function (Working Memory)

  3-hour

• Cognitive Function (Visuospatial Memory)

  3-hour

• Blood Lactate

  3-hour

• Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3)

  3-hour

• Blood pH

  3-hour

Study Arms (2)

Placebo

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Single dose of a placebo supplement (0.4 g/kg body weight of sodium chloride gelatin capsules).

Other: Placebo (Sodium Chloride)

Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)

EXPERIMENTAL

Single dose of sodium bicarbonate supplement (0.4 g/kg body weight of NaHCO3 gelatin capsules).

Dietary Supplement: Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3)

Interventions

Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3) DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

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.

Also known as: Baking Soda

Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)

Placebo (Sodium Chloride) OTHER

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.

Also known as: Table Salt

Placebo

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Between the ages of 18-35 years old.
• Perform ≥150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity per week.

You may not qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• McMaster University: lead

Study Sites (1)

McMaster University

Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Interventions

Sodium Bicarbonate; Sodium Chloride; Sodium Chloride, Dietary

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Bicarbonates; Carbonates; Carbonic Acid; Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; Inorganic Chemicals; Sodium Compounds; Chlorides; Hydrochloric Acid; Chlorine Compounds; Sodium, Dietary

Study Officials

• Jeremy J Walsh, PhD

  McMaster University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Jeremy J Walsh, PhD

CONTACT

905-525-9140; walshj18@mcmaster.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover design will be used to test 2 conditions. Participants will ingest gelatin capsules containing: 1) 0.4 g/kg body weight of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3); or 2) 0.4 g/kg body weight of sodium chloride (NaCl) (placebo supplement).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 4, 2025
• First Posted: February 10, 2025
• Study Start: February 10, 2025
• Primary Completion: July 30, 2025
• Study Completion: September 20, 2025
• Last Updated: February 10, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
• Time Frame: Beginning 12 months and ending 36 months following article publication.
• Access Criteria: Anyone who wishes to access the data.

Locations

CA (1)