Carbohydrate metabolism in skeletal muscle: an update of current concepts

We have reviewed carbohydrate metabolism in skeletal muscle with an emphasis on recent information. In this review a significant number of points have been made. These are summarized below. 1. CP and glycogen are concomitantly metabolized during short-term (less than or equal to 10 s) intense exercise. 2. Both epinephrine and contractile activity regulate glycogen use in muscle. 3. Glycogen sparing during exercise is promoted by fatty acids and probably glucose. 4. Glycogenesis increases during exercise in exercising muscle. 5. Ingested glucose is easily metabolized during exercise. 6. The heterogeneity in glucose uptake among muscles at rest and during exercise is likely not caused by blood flow differences per se. 7. Insulin binding, glucose transporters, glucose uptake, and glycogenesis are greater in ST than in FT muscles. 8. Acute changes in glucose metabolism are not always attributable to concomitant changes in insulin binding to its receptor. 9. Contractile activity alone will increase glucose uptake in muscle, and insulin is not required. 10. Insulin and contractile effects on glucose uptake are additive, suggesting that these stimuli mobilize different pools of glucose transporters. 11. Glycogen loss occurs in exercising and non-exercising muscle; therefore this substrate is not an appropriate index of muscle contractile activity. 12. Carbohydrate mobilization does not appear to be strictly determined by need for this substrate nor by the rate of muscle metabolism. 13. Glyconeogenesis from lactate occurs in ST and FT muscles and is regulated by pH.