Leg Muscle Metabolism in Trained and Untrained Men

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe substrate changes in blood and muscles during submaximal exercise and to look at the relationship of these changes to some enzyme activities important in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. A group of six trained and six untrained men were exercised for 1 hour at 50% [Vdot]O₂ max; three from each group cycled and the rest ran on a treadmill. During the exercise, blood-free fatty acid (FFA) levels increased twofold, glycerol by 3.6 times, triglyceride (TG) by 11/100 ml, and glucose by a mean 11 mg/100 ml in the trained men. In the untrained subjects, however, FFA increased 1.8 fold, glycerols 1.6 fold, and TG by a mean 24/100 ml. Glucose fell in every subject by an average 5 mg%. Muscle glycogen depletion averaged 34 mmoles/kg in the untrained and 23 mmoles/kg in the trained group. The activities of succinic acid dehydrogenase (SDH), malic acid dehydrogenase (MDH), and carnitine palmityl transferase (CPT) were greater by 177%, 93%, and 64%, respectively, in the trained group than in the untrained subjects. The results indicated that at the same percent [Vdot]O₂ max, the trained men seemed to “preferentially” use FFA as an energy source, possibly due to a well developed Krebs cycle and increased CPT activities. This preference would tend to inhibit the major rate-limiting enzymes of glycolysis, thus slowing even further the use of carbohydrates as an energy source. The differences in response to exercise were independent of fiber type and indicate that these catabolic responses were primarily due to aerobic training.