Data from: Lactate as a key energy source facilitating cooperative behaviour in helper Damaraland mole-rats

This study investigates the metabolic factors driving the division of
labour in cooperatively breeding Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis)
colonies, particularly during digging activities. In these highly social
mammals, non-breeding males and females (NBFs), often known as ‘helpers’,
handle most of the colony's labour, while queens perform less
physically demanding tasks. We examined how glucose and lactate, key
energy sources, are used during digging. While both queens and NBFs showed
similar drops in glucose after digging, lactate dynamics revealed a
crucial difference: NBFs experienced a significant decrease in plasma
lactate, indicating they efficiently recycle lactate into energy. In
contrast, queens exhibited a slower clearance of lactate, which may
contribute to their quicker transient fatigue and limited involvement in
burrowing tasks. This suggests that NBFs utilize lactate as an additional
energy source, allowing them to dig for longer without accumulating the
transient fatigue associated with lactate buildup. These findings
highlight the role of lactate metabolism in supporting sustained physical
activity in NBFs, revealing a physiological basis for the division of
labour in mole-rat colonies. Beyond their reproductive and social roles,
differences in how individuals rely on metabolic pathways may help explain
why helpers take on the majority of a colony's physically demanding
tasks.