Amperometric lactate biosensors and their application in (sports) medicine, for life quality and wellbeing

The article reviews the use of electrochemical biosensors for detecting lactate, a key metabolite of the anaerobic glycolytic pathway. This compound plays an important role in (sports) medicine, in the nutritional sector, in food quality control and touches environmental concerns. Amperometric biosensors offer a sensitive and selective means to monitor organic analytes like lactate. A detailed study on different aspects of amperometric lactate biosensor preparation is described: the main configuration aspects are compiled regarding electrode materials, biorecognition elements, immobilization methods, mediators and cofactors as well as fields of application. Comparative studies are conducted correlating different configuration aspects and performance of the resulting biosensors. This review contains 214 references from the years 1974 to 2007. Correspondence: Beate Strehlitz, UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Environmental and Biotechnology Centre (UBZ), Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany