Mitochondria-associated lactate dehydrogenase is not a biologically significant contributor to bioenergetic function in murine striated muscle

. Although three weeks of treadmill running promoted physiologic cardiac growth, mitochondria isolated from the hearts of acutely exercised or exercise-adapted mice showed no further increase in lactate oxidation capacity. In all conditions tested, cardiac mitochondria respired at >20-fold higher levels with provision of pyruvate compared with lactate. Similarly, skeletal muscle mitochondria showed little capacity to respire on lactate. Protease protection assays of isolated cardiac mitochondria confirmed that LDH is not localized within the mitochondrion. We conclude that mLDH does not contribute to cardiac bioenergetics in mice.