6533b82ffe1ef96bd1295366

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Lipid metabolism during exercise I: Physiological and biochemical characterization of normal healthy male subjects in relation to their physical fitness

subject

description

On the basis of maximal oxygen uptake (\(\dot V\)O2 max) 18 normal, healthy men were divided into two groups of equal size: moderately trained subjects (MTR) each having \(\dot V\)O2 max below 65.0 ml·min−1·kg−1 body weight (54.0±8.3) and well trained subjects (WTR), whose \(\dot V\)O2 max exceeded 65.0 ml·min−1·kg−1 body weight (69.2±4.1). The WTR group had slightly (non significant, n.s.) higher percentage of slow twitch, oxidative (SO) fibers in M. vastus lateralis and higher (n.s.) activities of cytochrome c oxidase (CytOx), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase (HADH), and citrate synthase (CS), while lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was lower (n.s.). In the MTR group only, the SO-%, and the activities of CytOx, SDH and HADH correlated positively with \(\dot V\)O2 max, and LDH negatively with \(\dot V\)O2 max. These correlations were not significant in the WTR group possibly because of the adaptations produced by training in this group. Multiple regression analysis was used to elucidate the best combination of variables to explain the variance in \(\dot V\)O2 max. The best model consisted of the sum of relative activities of oxidative muscle enzymes (CytOx, SDH, HADH, CS), muscle LDH activity, body fat content (% F) and lean body mass. This model explained 69% of the variance in \(\dot V\)O2 max; and of the individual variables % F was of utmost importance.