What happens to lactate produced during intense exercise in the liver?

• A. It is exhaled as CO2
• B. It is converted back into glycogen
• C. It is converted into fat
• D. It remains in the muscle

Answer: (B)

During intense exercise, muscles generate lactate that travels through the blood to the liver as part of the Cori cycle. In the liver, lactate is converted back into pyruvate and then used to synthesize glucose through gluconeogenesis. That newly formed glucose can be stored in the liver as glycogen (glycogenesis) or released into the bloodstream to help maintain blood glucose. So lactate is effectively recycled into glycogen in the liver, making that option the best fit.