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Biomedical subjects

B Saltin

Publications and source records attributed to B Saltin.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Increased skeletal muscle capillary density precedes diabetes development in men with impaired glucose tolerance. A 15-year follow-up.

Gastrocnemius muscle morphology, metabolic potential, and capillarization were analyzed in 48-year-old men with regard to subsequent development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in 29 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and in 38 control subjects. Over a 15-year period, although participating in an intervention program, 13 of the IGT subjects developed diabetes, but none of the control subjects developed diabetes. In view of their poor aerobic capacity, lack of physical fitness, and reduced glycolytic and oxidative enzymes, these 13 subjects manifested an unexpectedly high number of capillaries around all types of muscle fibers, especially type IIb fibers, as predictors of their progression to diabetes. Moreover, the number of capillaries per muscle fiber and the 2-h insulin value in the oral glucose tolerance test were highly correlated (r = 0.82, P < 0.005), whereas no correlation was found among IGT subjects who remained nondiabetic and in the control group. With body mass index and the 2-h glucose concentration included in a regression model, 68% of the variation in the number of capillaries per muscle fiber was explained (P < 0.05), with the 2-h insulin value independently accounting for 33%. These findings may suggest that the increased circulating insulin concentrations in IGT subjects have a capillary proliferative effect, perhaps to compensate for reduced capillary insulin diffusion and metabolic capacity of the muscle.

Biopsy↗

Free fatty acids and exercise.

Although the great explorers were well aware that eating fat was an efficient way to meet their large energy demand, it was not until some decades into this century that it could be demonstrated that lipids are metabolized directly by contracting skeletal muscles. The 1950s produced the first studies with [14C]-tagged fatty acids (FAs), proving that fat is transported into the cell as FAs. An FA-transporting protein that is present in the sarcolemma and in the cytoplasma has been identified. For FA transport into the mitochondria, carnitine and carnitine transferase are needed. It is still unclear how the use of lipids as an energy source for the muscle during exercise is limited. The supply of free fatty acids (FFAs) far exceeds what is taken up by the muscle. Seldom more than 2-4% of the amount of FFAs delivered to an exercising limb is taken up by the muscles and only part of it is oxidized. Physical training induces changes that enhance the uptake of FAs by the contracting muscles, and a larger fraction of this uptake is oxidized, but it is not yet clear which mechanism is behind this adaptation. What is known is that this uptake occurs despite no elevation in the amount of FA supplied to the limb.

Exercise↗

Human circulatory and thermoregulatory adaptations with heat acclimation and exercise in a hot, dry environment.

1. Heat acclimation was induced in eight subjects by asking them to exercise until exhaustion at 60% of maximum oxygen consumption rate (VO2) for 9-12 consecutive days at an ambient temperature of 40 degrees C, with 10% relative humidity (RH). Five control subjects exercised similarly in a cool environment, 20 degrees C, for 90 min for 9-12 days; of these, three were exposed to exercise at 40 degrees C on the first and last day. 2. Acclimation had occurred as seen by the increased average endurance from 48 min to 80 min, the lower rate of rise in the heart rate (HR) and core temperature and the increased sweating. 3. Cardiac output increased significantly from the first to the final heat exposure from 19.6 to 21.4 l min-1; this was possibly due to an increased plasma volume and stroke volume. 4. The mechanism for the increased plasma volume may be an isosmotic volume expansion caused by influx of protein to the vascular compartment, and a sodium retention induced by a significant increase in aldosterone. 5. The exhaustion coincided with, or was elicited when, core temperature reached 39.7 +/- 0.15 degrees C; with progressing acclimation processes it took progressively longer to reach this level. However, at this point we found no reduction in cardiac output, muscle (leg) blood flow, no changes in substrate utilization or availability, and no recognized accumulated 'fatigue' substances. 6. It is concluded that the high core temperature per se, and not circulatory failure, is the critical factor for the exhaustion during exercise in heat stress.

Acclimatization↗

Lactate and H+ effluxes from human skeletal muscles during intense, dynamic exercise.

1. Lactate and H+ efflux from skeletal muscles were studied with the one-legged knee extension model under conditions in which blood flow, arterial lactate and the muscle-blood lactate concentration gradient were altered. Subjects exercised one leg twice to exhaustion (EX1, EX2), separated by a 10 min recovery and a period of intense intermittent exercise. After 1 h of recovery the exercise protocol was repeated with the other leg. Low-intensity exercise was performed with one leg during the recovery periods, while the other leg was passive during its recovery periods. 2. Prior to, and immediately after, EX1 and EX2 and then 3 and 10 min after EX1, a biopsy was taken from the vastus lateralis of the exercised leg for lactate, pH, muscle water and fibre-type determinations. Measurements of leg blood flow and venous-arterial differences for lactate (whole blood and plasma), pH, partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2), haemoglobin, saturation and base excess (BE) were performed at the end of exercise and regularly during the recovery period after EX1. 3. The lactate release was linearly related (r = 0.96; P < 0.05) to the muscle lactate gradient over a range of muscle lactate from 0 to 45 mmol (kg wet wt)-1. The muscle lactate transport was evaluated from the net femoral venous-arterial differences (V-Adiff) for lactate. This rose with increases in the muscle lactate gradients, but as the gradient reached higher levels the V-Adiff lactate responded less than at smaller gradients. Thus, the lactate transport over the muscle membrane appears to be partly saturated at high muscle lactate concentrations. 4. The percentage of slow twitch (%ST) fibres was inversely related to the muscle lactate gradient, but it was not correlated to the lactate release at the end of the exercises. In spite of a significantly higher blood flow during active recovery, the lactate release was the same whether the leg was resting or performed low-intensity exercise in the recovery periods. In several other conditions the muscle lactate and H+ gradients would have predicted that the V-Adiff lactate would have been greater than it actually was. Thus, a variety of factors affect muscle lactate transport, including arterial lactate concentration, muscle perfusion, muscle contraction pattern and muscle morphology. 5. The muscle and femoral venous pH declined during EX1 to 6.73 and 7.14-7.15, respectively, and they increased to resting levels during 10 min of either passive or active recovery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

Skeletal muscle substrate utilization during submaximal exercise in man: effect of endurance training.

1. The influence of training-induced adaptations in skeletal muscle tissue on the choice between carbohydrates (CHO) and lipids as well as the extra- vs. intracellular substrate utilization was investigated in seven healthy male subjects performing one-legged knee-extension exercise. In each subject one of the knee extensors was endurance trained for eight weeks, whereafter the trained (T) and non-trained (NT) thighs were investigated a week apart. 2. The activity of beta-hydroxy-acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (HAD) and capillary density in the knee extensors were significantly larger in T than in NT. 3. During dynamic knee-extension exercise, performed at the same absolute intensity for 2 h, femoral venous blood flow was lower in T than in NT (P < 0.05), but oxygen uptake was similar. 4. Respiratory quotient (RQ) values over the exercising thigh, averaging 0.81 (T) vs. 0.91 (NT; P < 0.05) indicated that a shift towards a larger fat combustion occurred with endurance training. 5. Both free fatty acids (FFA) and serum triacylglycerol contributed to the utilization of fat in NT and T muscles with no significant contribution from muscle fibre triacylglycerol. 6. At high plasma FFA concentrations net uptake of FFA plateaued in NT but not in T muscles. 7. The findings suggest that FFA uptake in exercising muscle is a saturable process and that the transport capacity is enhanced by training. The lower CHO utilization in the T leg was mainly a function of the glycogenolysis of the muscle being reduced. Hormones such as insulin, noradrenaline and adrenaline are unlikely to play a role in this shift as differences in plasma levels during T and NT leg exercise were small and insignificant, implying that local structural and functional adaptations of the training muscle are crucial for the observed shifts in the metabolic response to exercise.

Adult↗

Neural control of cardiovascular responses and of ventilation during dynamic exercise in man.

1. Nine subjects performed dynamic knee extension by voluntary muscle contractions and by evoked contractions with and without epidural anaesthesia. Four exercise bouts of 10 min each were performed: three of one-legged knee extension (10, 20 and 30 W) and one of two-legged knee extension at 2 x 20 W. Epidural anaesthesia was induced with 0.5% bupivacaine or 2% lidocaine. Presence of neural blockade was verified by cutaneous sensory anaesthesia below T8-T10 and complete paralysis of both legs. 2. Compared to voluntary exercise, control electrically induced exercise resulted in normal or enhanced cardiovascular, metabolic and ventilatory responses. However, during epidural anaesthesia the increase in blood pressure with exercise was abolished. Furthermore, the increases in heart rate, cardiac output and leg blood flow were reduced. In contrast, plasma catecholamines, leg glucose uptake and leg lactate release, arterial carbon dioxide tension and pulmonary ventilation were not affected. Arterial and venous plasma potassium concentrations became elevated but leg potassium release was not increased. 3. The results conform to the idea that a reflex originating in contracting muscle is essential for the normal blood pressure response to dynamic exercise, and that other neural, humoral and haemodynamic mechanisms cannot govern this response. However, control mechanisms other than central command and the exercise pressor reflex can influence heart rate, cardiac output, muscle blood flow and ventilation during dynamic exercise in man.

Adult↗

Skeletal muscle ammonia production and repeated, intense exercise in humans.

We investigated the impact of repeated, high-intensity exercise on NH3 metabolism using the single-leg knee extensor model. The muscle glycogen level would be lowered by the initial exercise and low glycogen may stimulate NH3 production independent of any other effects of previous exercise. Therefore a high muscle glycogen condition was included in the protocol so that the pre-exercise glycogen concentration would be at least at a normal resting level for the second exercise. The subjects (n = 6) used previous exercise and (or) diet to begin the exercise with either normal (87.0 +/- 14.4 mmol/kg wet weight) or high (176.8 +/- 22.9 mmol/kg wet weight) glycogen (C and HG, respectively) in the quadriceps. They exercised (Ex1) one leg to exhaustion (140% leg VO2 max), rested 1 h, repeated the exercise (Ex2), and then repeated the protocol with the opposite leg. The exercise durations of Ex1 and Ex2, respectively, for C were 2.82 +/- 0.51 and 2.47 +/- 0.47 min (p < 0.05) and for HG were 2.92 +/- 0.57 and 2.77 +/- 0.50 min. The NH3 efflux was reduced (p < 0.05) from Ex1 to Ex2 in both C (516 +/- 159 and 250 +/- 69 mumol, respectively) and HG (618 +/- 233 and 275 +/- 124 mumol, respectively). While NH3 efflux was virtually identical between C and HG in both Ex1 and Ex2, HG consistently had a greater arterial NH3 concentration (p < 0.05). The decreased efflux in Ex2 compared with Ex1 was not due to greater accumulation of muscle NH3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

NMR and analytic biochemical evaluation of CrP and nucleotides in the human calf during muscle contraction.

This study compared biochemical and 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) determinations of energy metabolites during isometric contractions of the human calf muscle at various exercise intensities. Seven male subjects performed one-legged isometric contractions at a work load of 28, 64, and 90% of maximal voluntary contraction force (28-, 64-, and 90%-CON, respectively) for 3 min, 40 s, and 40 s, respectively, in a magnet and in an exact model of the magnet with an arrangement for rapid muscle biopsy sampling from the gastrocnemius. The decrease in phosphocreatine (CrP) determined by NMR was 20, 33, and 71% for 28%-, 64%-, and 90%-CON, respectively. These decreases were the same as those determined biochemically (25, 34, and 61%, respectively). Muscle CrP 1 min after 90%-CON was also found to be similar between NMR and biochemical determinations (88 and 74% of resting value, respectively). Although no significant change in muscle ATP was found by NMR, a decrease of 29% was observed biochemically at 90%-CON. The ratio between muscle CrP and ATP was the same between NMR and biochemical determinations except for 90%-CON (1.98 and 0.78, respectively). The increase in muscle ADP determined by NMR was two-, five-, and eightfold higher than that found biochemically for 28%-, 64%-, and 90%-CON, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Elevated muscle glycogen and anaerobic energy production during exhaustive exercise in man.

1. The effect of elevated muscle glycogen on anaerobic energy production, and glycogenolytic and glycolytic rates was examined in man by using the one-legged knee extension model, which enables evaluation of metabolism in a well-defined muscle group. 2. Six subjects performed very intense exercise to exhaustion (EX1) with one leg with normal glycogen (control) and one with a very high concentration (HG). With each leg, the exhaustive exercise was repeated after 1 h of recovery (EX2). Prior to and immediately after each exercise bout, a muscle biopsy was taken from m. vastus lateralis of the active leg for determination of glycogen, lactate, creatine phosphate (CP) and nucleotide concentrations. Measurements of leg blood flow and femoral arterial-venous differences for oxygen content, lactate, glucose, free fatty acids and potassium were performed before and regularly during the exhaustive exercises. 3. Muscle glycogen concentration prior to EX1 was 87.0 and 176.8 mmol (kg wet wt)-1 for the control and HG leg, respectively, and the decreases during exercise were 26.3 (control) and 25.6 (HG) mmol (kg wet wt)-1. The net glycogen utilization rate was not related to pre-exercise muscle glycogen concentration. Muscle lactate concentration at the end of EX1 was 18.8 (control) and 16.1 (HG) mmol (kg wet wt)-1, and the net lactate production (including lactate release) was 26.5 (control) and 23.6 (HG) mmol (kg wet wt)-1. Rate of lactate production was unrelated to initial muscle glycogen level. Time to exhaustion for EX1 was the same for the control leg (2.82 min) and HG leg (2.92 min). 4. Muscle glycogen concentration before EX2 was 14 mmol (kg wet wt)-1 lower than prior to EX1. During EX2 the muscle glycogen decline of 19.6 mmol (kg wet wt)-1 for the control leg was less than for the HG leg (26.2 mmol (kg wet wt)-1). The muscle lactate concentrations at the end of EX2 were about 7-8 mmol (kg wet wt)-1 lower compared to EX1, and the net lactate production was reduced by 40%. The exercise time during EX2 was 0.35 min shorter for the control leg, while no difference was observed for the HG leg. 5. Total reduction in ATP and CP was similar during the four exercise bouts, while a higher accumulation of inosine monophosphate (IMP) occurred during EX2 for the control leg (0.72 mmol (kg wet wt)-1) compared to the HG leg (0.20 mmol (kg wet wt)-1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

Elevated muscle acidity and energy production during exhaustive exercise in humans.

This study examined the effect of previous intense exercise on energy production during exhaustive exercise. Subjects (n = 6) performed dynamic knee extensor exercise to exhaustion twice (Ex1 and Ex2) separated by 16 min of recovery consisting of 10 min of rest, 3.5 min of very high-intensity intermittent exercise, and a further 2.5 min of rest. This resulted in an elevated muscle lactate concentration of 13.1 mmol/kg wet wt before Ex2. Muscle lactate concentration was the same at end of Ex1 and Ex2, but the accumulation of lactate and net lactate release during Ex2 was reduced (P < 0.05) by 67 and 38%, respectively. The time to exhaustion was 3.73 and 2.98 min, respectively, and the mean rate of net lactate production for Ex2 was lower (P < 0.05) than for Ex1 (4.6 +/- 1.2 and 9.6 +/- 1.7 mmol.min-1.kg wet wt-1, respectively). Leg O2 uptake was the same for Ex1 and Ex2. Muscle pH (6.85) was lowered (P < 0.05) before Ex2, but at the end of Ex2 (6.77) it tended (P < 0.1) to be higher compared with that at the end of Ex1 (6.73). In summary, the net lactate production rate is reduced but the aerobic energy production is not significantly altered when intense exercise is repeated. Fatigue and the lowered glycolysis do not appear to be caused by the elevated acidity per se before exercise.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗