Lactate clearance is primarily supported by which organs during recovery?

• A. Kidneys and spleen
• B. Liver and heart
• C. Lungs and brain
• D. Pancreas and liver

Answer: (B)

After intense exercise, lactate builds up in the blood from anaerobic glycolysis. Clearing that lactate quickly helps restore pH and energy stores, and this mostly happens in the liver and the heart. The liver handles lactate by converting it back into glucose through gluconeogenesis (the Cori cycle), which helps replenish blood glucose and glycogen stores. The heart, being highly oxidative, uses lactate as a fuel source and oxidizes it for energy, which also lowers blood lactate levels. These two organs are well supplied with blood and have the enzymes needed to process lactate efficiently, making them the primary sites of clearance during recovery. Other tissues can contribute a little, but they’re not the main players in lactate removal.