George A. Brooks

Professor

Lab: Brooks Lab

Email: gbrooks@berkeley.edu
Office phone: 642-2861

Web site: http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/brooks

Full contact information

Research interests

The research emphasis in the Exercise Physiology Laboratory is in the area of metabolic adjustments to exercise. In recent years, we 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, we seek to determine 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 our work involve the effects of exercise training, gender, age, and high altitude on 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.

Selected publications

Dubouchaud, H., G.E. Butterfield, E.E. Wolfel, B.C. Bergman, and G.A. Brooks. 2000. Endurance training, expression and physiology of LDH, MCT1 and MCT4 in human skeletal muscle. Am. J. Physiol. 278:E571-579.

Brooks, G.A, H. Dubouchaud, M. Brown, J.P. Sicurello, and C.E. Butz. 1999. Role of mitochondrial lactic dehydrogenase and lactate oxidation in the 'intra-cellular lactate shuttle.' Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:1129-1134.

Friedlander, A.L., G.A. Casazza, M.A. Horning, and G.A. Brooks. 1999. Plasma free fatty acid rate of appearance is increased in men following endurance training. J. Appl. Physiol. 86:2097-2105.

Bergman, B.C., E.E. Wolfel, G.E. Butterfield, G. Lopaschuk, G.A. Casazza, M.A. Horning, and G.A. Brooks. 1999. Active muscle and whole body lactate kinetics after endurance training in men. J. Appl. Physiol. 87:1684-1696.

Brooks, G.A, M. A. Brown, C.E. Butz, J. P. Sicurello, and H. Dubouchaud. 1999. Cardiac and skeletal muscle mitochondria have a monocarboxylate transporter MCT1. J. Appl. Physiol. 87:1713-1718.