Lactate infusion as therapeutical intervention: a scoping review

Traditionally, clinicians consider lactate as a waste product of anaerobic glycolysis. Interestingly, research has shown that lactate may serve as an alternative fuel for the brain to protect it against harm. The increasing scientific awareness of the potential beneficial side of lactate, however, is entering the clinic rather slowly. Following this, and realizing that the application of potential novel therapeutic strategies in pediatric populations often lags behind the development in adults, this review summarizes the key data on therapeutic use of intravenous infusion of sodium lactate in humans. PubMed and clinicaltrial.gov were searched up until November 2021 focusing on interventional studies in humans. Thirty-four articles were included in this review, with protocols of lactate infusion in adults with diabetes mellitus, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiac disease. One study on lactate infusion in children was also included. Results of our literature search show that sodium lactate can be safely administrated, without major side effects. Additionally, the present literature clearly shows the potential benefits of therapeutic lactate infusion under certain pathological circumstances, including rather common clinical conditions like traumatic brain injury. Conclusion: This review shows that lactate is a save, alternative energy source for the adult brain warranting studies on the potential therapeutic effects of sodium lactate infusion in children. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00431-022-04446-3.