Muscle metabolism during exercise

Abstract

Endurance exercise induces adaptive increases in the mitochondrial content and respiratory capacity of skeletal muscle, as well as in myoglobin concentration and capillary number. As a consequence, submaximal exercise of the same intensity causes a smaller disturbance in homeostasis, with a slower utilization of muscle glycogen and blood glucose, a greater reliance on fat oxidation, and less lactate production in the trained than in the untrained state. These adaptations play an important role in accounting for the large increases in work capacity that can be induced by training.