Exercise-induced hypercapnia in the horse

The effects of exercise intensity and duration on blood gases in thoroughbred horses were studied to characterize the apparent exercise-induced failure in pulmonary gas exchange that occurs in these animals. In response to 2 min of exercise, arterial CO2 tension (PaCO2) decreased in mild and moderate exercise, returned to normocapnic levels in moderate to heavy exercise, and rose 5-10 Torr above resting values during very heavy exercise when CO2 production (VCO2) exceeded 20 times the resting value, and mixed venous CO2 tension approximated 140 Torr. Exercise-induced hypoxemia occurred at the onset of heavy exercise and was associated with the absence of a hyperventilatory response and an alveolar-arterial PO2 difference that increased four to six times above rest with very heavy exercise. PaCO2 was related to VCO2 but not fb, as changes in breathing frequency (fb) of 8-20 breaths/min at comparable VCO2 did not affect PaCO2. Prolonging very heavy exercise from 2 to 4 min caused a severe metabolic acidosis (arterial pH less than 7.15) and hypoxemia was maintained; however, CO2 was no longer retained, as PaCO2 gradually fell to below resting levels, due to an increased tidal volume at constant fb. We conclude that a truly compensatory hyperventilation to very heavy exercise in the horse is not achieved because of the excessive volumes and flow rates required by their extraordinarily high VCO2 and VO2. On the other hand, the frank CO2 retention during short-term high-intensity exercise occurs even though the horse is not apparently mechanically obligated to tolerate it.

Characteristics and preliminary observations of the influence of electromyostimulation on the size and function of human skeletal muscle during 30 days of simulated microgravity

During 30 days (d) of bedrest, the practicality of using electromyostimulation (EMS) as a deterrent to atrophy and strength loss of lower limb musculature was examined. An EMS system was developed that provided variable but quantifiable levels of EMS, and measured torque. The dominant leg of three male subjects was stimulated twice daily in a 3-d on/1-d off cycle during bedrest. The non-dominant leg of each subject acted as a control. A stimulator, using a 0.3 ms monophasic 60 Hz pulse waveform, activated muscle tissue for 4 s. The output waveform from the stimulator was sequenced to the knee extensors (KE), knee flexors (KF), ankle extensors (AE), and ankle flexors (AF), and caused three isometric contractions of each muscle group per minute. Subject tolerance determined EMS intensity. Each muscle group received four 5-min bouts of EMS each session with a 10-min rest between bouts. EMS and torque levels for each muscle action were recorded directly on a computer. Overall average EMS intensity was 197, 197, 195, and 188 mA for the KE, KF, AF, and AE, respectively. Overall average torque development for these muscle groups was 70, 16, 12, and 27 Nm, respectively. EMS intensity doubled during the study, and average torque increased 2.5 times. Average maximum torque throughout a session reached 54% of maximal voluntary for the KE and 29% for the KF. Reductions in leg volume, muscle compartment size, cross-sectional area of slow and fast-twitch fibers, strength, and aerobic enzyme activities, and increased leg compliance were attenuated in the legs which received EMS during bedrest.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Structural and metabolic characteristics of human skeletal muscle following 30 days of simulated microgravity

Percutaneous needle biopsy samples were obtained from the vastus lateralis and soleus muscles before and after 30 d of 6 degree head-down bedrest to determine the influence of this model of simulated microgravity on human skeletal muscle. Fiber atrophy was evident in both muscles with both fast-twitch and slow-twitch fiber cross-sectional areas decreasing. Predominant atrophy of slow-twitch fibers was not evident. The soleus had a greater proportion of slow-twitch fibers than the vastus lateralis before bedrest. Neither muscle showed a change in fiber type percentage with bedrest. Phosphofructokinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities in the soleus and vastus lateralis muscles were similar before and after bedrest. The activities of beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and citrate synthase, however, were reduced during bedrest with these responses being somewhat greater in the soleus. While the ultrastructure of most of the fibers of the soleus and vastus lateralis appeared normal after bedrest, evidence of remodeling was present in both muscles. The proliferation of core/targetoid lesions, honeycomb networks, regenerating satellite cells, necrotic foci and myofibrillar disorganization after bedrest indicates that force development is an important factor in determining the organization of the fine structure of muscle. The results indicate that short-duration exposure to simulated microgravity decreases fiber size and the capacity for aerobic energy supply of human skeletal muscle. Moreover, disorganization of the contractile machinery occurs. Thus, it appears that bedrest alters the "normal" load-time constraints imposed on skeletal muscle sufficiently to change its inherent structural and metabolic characteristics.

Evidence that cysteine 298 is in the active site of tryptophan indole-lyase

Escherichia coli tryptophan indole-lyase (tryptophanase) mutants, with cysteine residues 294 and 298 selectively replaced by serines, have been prepared by site-directed mutagenesis. Both mutant enzymes are highly active for beta-elimination reactions measured with both L-tryptophan and S-(o-nitrophenyl)-L-cysteine. The Cys-294----Ser mutant enzyme is virtually identical to the wild type with respect to pyridoxal phosphate binding (KCO = 2 microM), cofactor absorption spectrum (lambda max = 420 and 337 nm) and pH dependence (pK alpha = 7.3), pH profile for catalysis, and rate of bromopyruvic acid inactivation. In contrast, the Cys-298----Ser mutant enzyme exhibits a reduced affinity for pyridoxal phosphate (KCO = 6 microM), a shift in the cofactor absorption spectrum to 414 nm and an altered pK alpha = 8.5, an alkaline shift in the pH profile for catalysis, and resistance to inactivation of the apoenzyme by bromopyruvic acid. The C298S mutant enzyme (wherein cysteine 298 is altered to serine) also undergoes an isomerization to an unreactive state upon storage at 4 degrees C. These results demonstrate that the sulfhydryl groups of Cys-294 and Cys-298 are catalytically nonessential. However, these data suggest that Cys-298 is located within or very near the active site of the enzyme and is the reactive cysteine residue previously observed by others.

Maximum O2 uptake, O2 debt and deficit, and muscle metabolites in Thoroughbred horses

This study determined maximal O2 uptake (VO2max), maximal O2 deficit, and O2 debt in the Thoroughbred racehorse exercising on an inclined treadmill. In eight horses the O2 uptake (VO2) vs. speed relationship was linear until 10 m/s and VO2max values ranged from 131 to 153 ml.kg-1.min-1. Six of these horses then exercised at 120% of their VO2max until exhaustion. VO2, CO2 production (VCO2), and plasma lactate (La) were measured before and during exercise and through 60 min of recovery. Muscle biopsies were collected before and at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, and 60 min after exercise. Muscle concentrations of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), phosphocreatine (PC), La, glucose 6-phosphate (G-6-P), and creatine were determined, and pH was measured. The O2 deficit was 128 +/- 32 (SD) ml/kg (64 +/- 13 liters). The O2 debt was 324 +/- 62 ml/kg (159 +/- 37 liters), approximately two to three times comparative values for human beings. Muscle [ATP] was unchanged, but [PC] was lower (P less than 0.01) than preexercise values at less than or equal to 10 min of recovery. [PC] and VO2 were negatively correlated during both the fast and slow phases of VO2 during recovery. Muscle [La] and [G-6-P] were elevated for 10 min postexercise. Mean muscle pH decreased from 7.05 (preexercise) to 6.75 at 1.5 min recovery, and the mean peak plasma La value was 34.5 mmol/l.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ventilatory responses of the horse to exercise: effect of gas collection systems

Experiments were undertaken to determine whether respiratory masks worn by horses exercising strenuously on a treadmill may interfere with normal gas exchange. Four collection systems, two flow-through systems and two incorporating one-way valve systems with subject-generated airflow were studied. Six horses performed standard treadmill exercise tests consisting of a 2-min warm up followed by galloping 1 min each at 8,9, and 10 m/s. Each horse exercised six times while wearing each of the four respiratory masks. Each flow-through system was used twice with flow rates of 2,360 and 3,840 l/min for one system, and 3,840 and 6,300 l/min for the other. Arterial blood gas tensions were measured during exercise at each speed for each system and were compared with values measured when the horses performed the same test without wearing a mask. Hypercapnia developed during exercise with each of the respiratory masks except with the 6,300-l/min flow-through system. All horses became hypoxemic during every exercise test, but it was most severe when systems incorporating one-way valves were used. This, plus the degree of hypercapnia observed and a suboptimal heart rate-O2 uptake relationship, indicated that such systems severely impede ventilation and suggest that experiments performed while utilizing them do not represent the normal exercise condition.

Some properties of different skeletal muscle fiber types: comparison of reference bases

Several biochemical components of the white portion of the gastrocnemius (WGM), plantaris (PM), and soleus (SM) muscles of the rat and middle gluteal (MGM) muscle of the horse were compared based on wet and dry weight, protein, and total creatine concentrations ([TCr]). The water content was similar for the rat hindlimb muscles, however, the concentrations of protein, ATP, phosphocreatine (PCr), creatine, and glycogen ranked as SM less than PM less than WGM for all reference bases except total creatine. In contrast, concentrations of ATP, creatine, and PCr were similar in all muscles studied when expressed as ratios of [TCr]. Horse MGM had the lowest percent of water and protein per gram wet or dry weight but highest glycogen concentration of the muscles studied, irrespective of the reference base used to express concentrations. Coefficients of variation were lowest when muscle constituents were related to [TCr]. It is concluded that expressing muscle constituents relative to total creatine results in the smallest variation and is a good method for making comparisons between muscles of similar fiber composition. However, essential information concerning different types of muscle may be lost when this reference base is used.

Exercise intensity, training, diet, and lactate concentration in muscle and blood

With some, but not all, types and intensities of exercise, lactate accumulates in the blood and in the muscles engaged in the exercise. A great deal of attention has been directed towards attempting to understand the dynamics of lactate production and removal at the onset of exercise, during exercise, and during the recovery process following exercise. It has been hoped that an unravelling of these events would provide a key to understanding cellular metabolism and its regulation during exercise. The purpose of this introductory paper to a symposium on lactate is to present a brief overview of some of the conditions that influence the rate and magnitude of lactate accumulation during exercise. It is pointed out that many conditions influence the rate and magnitude of the accumulation of lactate in blood and muscles. Included are diet, state of physical fitness, and the type and duration of the exercise. We have cautioned against trying to evaluate the state of oxygen delivery to muscle and the state of tissue oxygenation from the appearance of lactate in blood. We have pointed out the positive aspects of lactate production based on how it augments the cellular supply of ATP, thereby allowing for high intensity exercise, and also the negative aspects that develop as a result the reduction in pH which adversely influences many cellular processes essential for muscular activity.

Adaptive response of hypertrophied skeletal muscle to endurance training

The response of hypertrophied soleus and plantaris muscle of rats to endurance training was studied. Hypertrophy was produced by bilateral extirpation of the gastrocnemius muscle. A 13-wk training program of treadmill running initiated 30 days after removal of the gastrocnemius muscle accentuated (P less than 0.01) the hypertrophy. Succinate dehydrogenase activities of the enlarged muscles of sedentary rats were similar to those of normal animals, as were the increases associated with training. Phosphorylase and hexokinase activities were unaltered as a result of the experimental perturbations. Rates of glycogen depletion during exercise were lower (P less than 0.01) in the liver and soleus and plantaris muscles of endurance-trained animals. No difference existed in the rate of glycogen depletion of normal and hypertrophied muscle within the sedentary or trained groups. These data demonstrate that extensively hypertrophied muscle responds to training and exercise in a manner similar to that of normal muscle.

Sympathoadrenal system and activation of glycogenolysis during muscular activity

Comparisons were made of the appearance of phosphorylase (PHOS) a and lactate (LA) during electrical stimulation of the gastrocnemius (GM) and soleus (SM) muscles of normal and sympathectomized (SYMPX) rats. Ten-second stimulation at 3 Hz increased PHOS a approximately fourfold in the GM of normal rats, whereafter it declined during stimulation until at 60 s it was similar to rest. The increase in PHOS a of GM from SYMPX rats after 10 s of stimulation was approximately 50% that of normal rats. Stimulation of the SM produced smaller and slower increases in PHOS a with the peak occurring after 60 s, which remained constant to 90 s. SYMPX did not alter this effect in the SM. LA production and creatine phosphate depletion in the GM were continuous throughout stimulation and uninfluenced by SYMPX. This was true for the SM with the exception of LA production being greater after SYMPX. [ATP] was unchanged by electrical stimulation. The rate and magnitude of the PHOS a appearance was a function of stimulation frequency. Reversion of PHOS to the b form after stimulation was rapid, with approximately 50% of the peak value being attained in 2.5 s, and at 5 s the values were those of rest. These data demonstrate that an intact sympathoadrenal system is not obligatory for the initiation of glycogenolysis in skeletal muscle.

Differences in metabolic potential of skeletal muscle fibres and their significance for metabolic control

The role of an increase in oxidative potential of skeletal muscle in the enhanced work capacity and greater use of fat as a fuel after endurance training is discussed. Evidence is presented to illustrate that this adaptive response is probably expressed at the cellular level by a more rapid translocation into the mitochondria of the ADP generated during contractile activity. The consequence of this is a tighter control over the glycolytic process thereby creating more favourable conditions for the entry of acetyl units derived from beta-oxidation of fatty acids into the citric acid cycle.

Conversion of rat muscle fiber types. A time course study

Rats were used in this study to determine the time course of conversion of muscle fiber types. The right or left gastrocnemius muscle was removed thereby causing an overload on the ipsilateral soleus and plantaris muscles. The contralateral limb served as a control. The type II to type I fiber conversion was followed histochemically in the soleus and plantaris muscles for one to six weeks following surgery. Muscle sections were stained for myofibrillar actomyosin ATPase and NADH tetrazolium reductase. The type I population in the soleus muscle was 99.3% six weeks after synergist removal. The plantaris muscle underwent a two fold increase in the percentage of type I fibers after six weeks. Transitional fibers were prominent in the plantaris muscle and reached their peak at 4% (P less than 0.05) of the total population, four weeks after surgery.

Comparison of fiber types in skeletal muscles from ten animal species based on sensitivity of the myofibrillar actomyosin ATPase to acid or copper

Comparisons were made of the histochemical characteristics of skeletal muscle from 10 animal species. The basic comparison was made from the staining patterns for the myofibrillar actomyosin ATPase produced by preincubation of fresh frozen cross-sections of muscle at alkaline pH (10.30) or acid pH (4.60) with those produced by preincubation in media containing Cu2+ at alkaline pH (10.30), near neutral pH (7.40), or acid pH (4.60). Muscle sections were also stained for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide tetrazolium reductase and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase to provide an indication of the relative oxidative and glycolytic capacity of the different fiber types. Type II fibers in mixed fibered muscles were either very sensitive, moderately sensitive, or relatively insensitive to inactivation of the myofibrillar actomyosin ATPase after acid preincubation. These fibers were identified as type IIA1, IIA2, and IIA3, respectively. The myofibrillar actomyosin ATPase of the type I fibers of these muscles, with the exception of those in mouse muscle, was activated by pretreatment with acid. A separation of animal species was possible based on the stability of the IIA1 fibers to inclusion of Cu2+ in the preincubation medium. For one group of animals (rat, mouse, monkey, man, dog, rabbit, and cow), a reciprocal relationship existed between lability to acid and stability to Cu2+ for type IIA1 and IIA3 fibers, respectively. For the second group of animals (horse, ass, and cat) there was a parallel relationship between lability or stability of the type IIA1 and IIA3 fibers to pretreatment with either acid or Cu2+.

Cardiac contractility, cAMP concentration, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, and phosphorylase activation during acute pressure overload

The relationship between increases in myocardial contractility and cAMP and protein kinase activity were studied for hearts of normal rats and those with altered sympathectic capacity produced by the combined treatments of adrenalectomy, and 6-hydroxydopamine and propranolol injections. Increases in myocardial contractility, evaluated from intra-ventricular pressure changes, were produced by occlusion of the ascending aorta for 15, 20, or 25 s. Resting peak left ventricular pressure and the rate of rise of left ventricular pressure were lower (P less than 0.05) in sympathectomized animals, however, aortic occlusion abolished these differences. Time to peak tension and the relationship between end-diastolic pressure and developed pressure were unchanged by sympathectomy. ATP and CP concentrations in freeze clamped samples of the myocardium were lower (P less than 0.05) in both groups after aortic occlusion whereas lactate was elevated (P less than 0.05). Sympathectomy delayed and reduced the magnitude of the increase in the phosphorylase a/a + b ratio produced by aortic occlusion. Myocardial cAMP concentration was increased in the normal rats but decreased in sympathectomized animals after aortic occlusion. cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity followed the pattern of cAMP. The results demonstrate that heart possesses the capacity to increase its contractility to an acute, short-term overload even when devoid of sympathetic control.

Role of carbohydrate in exercise

Carbohydrate is an important energy source during exercise. During short, heavy exercise it may be the only energy source for the working muscle and may be derived exclusively from the glycogen stores within the muscle fibers themselves. During prolonged, submaximal exercise the magnitude of the contribution that carbohydrate makes to the total fuel consumed depends upon a number of factors, including (1) the intensity of the exercise, (2) the duration of the exercise, (3) the state or type of training that the individual has engaged in, or both, and (4) the diet previously consumed. Due to their limited storage in the body and the relative ease with which these stores can be manipulated by combinations of diet and/or training, a knowledge of the dynamics of carbohydrate metabolism is an important component in the arsenal of knowledge for coaches and athletes.

The muscle fiber composition of skeletal muscle as a predictor of athletic success. An overview

Human skeletal muscle is composed of varying percentages of fiber types. This percent composition varies widely between muscles and among individuals. The fiber composition of some skeletal muscle could be construed as being advantageous to successful performance in selected athletic event. However, this relationship is not sufficiently close to warrant the conclusion that the fiber composition of the muscle per se is the determinant of the superior performance of elite athletes. Reasonably good evidence exists to support the position that the fiber composition of a muscle is the result of a genetic endowment. Although muscle fibers are mutable, present evidence is equivocal as to whether habitual participation in given type of physical activity is responsible for high percentages of a given fiber type being present in the muscles of some athletes. Although considerable knowledge has come from the study of muscle samples obtained from sedentary individuals, athletes of a wide range of performance capacity, and individuals before and after training, a considerable gap remains for a full understanding of how the characteristics of muscle are related to performance capacity. The observation that considerable variation exists in the percent distribution of the fibers within a muscle and that athletes with a wide range of fiber populations in their muscles can be successful in the same athletic event cautions against the routine application of the biopsy technique to estimate the fiber distribution of muscles and also to use such data as a routine screening procedure for predicting athletic success. The point, as was made in an earlier paper, that the biopsy technique for studying muscle is a research tool, will probably continue to be true for the near future.

Response of skeletal muscle to training

Physical training induces adaptive changes in skeletal muscle. These changes are localised to the active muscle with their magnitude depending upon the nature, i.e. time and intensity, of the training regimen. The most notable changes are increased concentrations of mitochondria and glycogen. With endurance training there are major changes in metabolism in that there is a greater contribution of fat to the total metabolism during submaximal exercise. This results in a conservation of the stores of glycogen with the net result of increasing total exercise capacity. This increased use of fat during submaximal exercise appears to be more closely related to the elevations in the concentration of mitochondria in muscle than to changes in total body maximal oxygen uptake. The combination of a greater contribution of fat to the metabolism and the elevated concentration of stored glycogen are prime factors contributing to the enhanced endurance capacity after endurance training. The mechanism for the greater use of fat after endurance training is discussed. Evidence now supports the hypothesis that this is due to a tighter control over the Embden-Meyerhof pathway as a result of the greater concentration of mitochondria. The effect of heavy resistance exercise on the size and strength of skeletal muscle is discussed. Some attention is focused on the recently revived controversy concerning whether muscle enlargement is the result of a hypertrophy of pre-existing fibres or of hyperplasia. It is concluded that although there is considerable evidence to support the development of hypertrophy in response to heavy resistance exercise, the contention that a splitting of fibres occurs to produce a greater fibre number is presently poorly supported.