Maintained exercise‐enhanced brain executive function related to cerebral lactate metabolism in men

High‐intensity interval exercise (HIIE) improves cerebral executive function (EF), but the improvement in EF is attenuated after reρeated HIIE, perhaρs because of lower lactate availability for the brain. This investigation examined whether imρroved EF after exercise relates to brain lactate uρtake. Fourteen healthy, male subjects performed 2 HIIE protocols separated by 60 min of rest. Blood samples were obtained from the right internal jugular venous bulb and from the brachial artery to determine arterial‐venous differences across the brain for lactate (a‐v difflactate), glucose (a‐v diffglucose), oxygen (a‐v diffoxygen), and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; a‐v diffBDNF). EF was evaluated by the color‐word Stroop task. The first HIIE improved EF for 40 min, whereas the second HIIE improved EF only immediately after exercise. The a‐v diffglucose was unchanged, whereas the a‐v diffBDNF increased similarly after both HIIEs, and the a‐v difflactate increased, but the increase was attenuated after the second HIIE, compared with the first HIIE (P