Professor George A. Brooks

Department of Integrative Biology

The research emphasis in Dr. Brooks' Exercise Physiology Laboratory is in the area of metabolic adjustments to exercise. In recent years, Dr. Brooks and his associates have developed two working hypotheses: the "Lactate Shuttle," and the "Crossover Concept." Research on the Lactate Shuttle is to elucidate the pathways and controls of lactic acid formation and removal before, during and after exercise. This work involves studies on humans and animals, indirect calorimetry, isotope tracer technology, classic arterial-venous difference measurements, and muscle biopsies. As well, this research explores the factors that determine the expression of lactate transport proteins and their cellular domains. Research on the Crossover Concept is to describe and understand how the body selects combinations of fatty acids, carbohydrates and amino acids for use during sustained exercise and other conditions. Aspects of this work involve the effects of exercise training, gender, age, and high altitude on metabolic substrate utilization. To support this work, significant research collaborations with other laboratories in the University of California and elsewhere have been established. These arrangements offer students, post-doctoral fellows, research staff, and visiting scientists the opportunity to work in an important and exciting area of science.

Dr. Brooks' most recent breakthrough on his lactate shuttle hypothesis: Colocalization of MCT1, CD147, and LDH in mitochondrial inner membrane of L6 muscle cells: evidence of a mitochondrial lactate oxidation complex (full text and pdf) was featured by the New York Times on May 16th 2006, and the original article can be found here.