Muscle adaptation to extreme endurance training in man

To evaluate the effect of extreme endurance training on muscle fibre composition and activities of oxidative enzymes in different fibre types biopsies were taken from vastus lateralis, gastrocnemius and deltoideus of elite orienteers. Comparisons were made between the (trained) leg muscles and the (relatively untrained) arm muscles, and with leg muscles of 16--18 years old boys. The orienteers had the same percentage type I fibres and vastus lateralis and gastrocnemius as in deltoideus, but higher percentage type I fibres in vastus lateralis compared with the controls. The similarity between trained and untrained muscle in the orienteers suggests that training had not caused the high percentage type I fibres which rather might be the result of selection of individuals with the best prerequisites for high oxidative capacity. However, the distribution of type II subgroups in the leg muscles of the orienteers differed from both their own deltoideus and leg muscles of the controls, the relationship IIA/IIB being altered in favour of the more oxidative IIA. The leg muscles of the orienteers also showed an increased occurrence of the normally IIC fibre. These latter findings point at the possibility of a training induced alteration in the subgroup pattern. Unlike in the controls there was no significant difference in succinate dehydrogenase activity, measured in single fibres, between type I and II fibres in gastrocnemius of the orienteers. Thus, type II fibres have the ability metabolically to adapt to high oxidative demands. This might to some extent be mediated by a conversion from IIB to IIA form.