What is lactate converted into in the Cori cycle?

In the Cori cycle, lactate is converted back into pyruvate primarily in the liver. This process occurs during periods of anaerobic metabolism when glucose is broken down into lactate in the muscles. When blood carries lactate to the liver, it gets converted back into pyruvate, which can then be utilized for gluconeogenesis to produce glucose or enter the Krebs cycle for energy production.

Understanding the Cori cycle is essential, especially in contexts of energy production and metabolic pathways during exercise or instances of low oxygen availability. Pyruvate plays a crucial role in cellular respiration, serving as an intermediate that links anaerobic glycolysis in the muscles to aerobic metabolism in the liver.