Vascular transport capacity of hindlimb muscles of exercise-trained rats

The purpose of this study was to determine whether chronic exercise training is associated with increased vascular flow capacity and capillary exchange capacity in skeletal muscles. One group of male Sprague-Dawley rats was cage confined for a period of 13-17 wk (sedentary control, C) and a second was trained for 1 h/day at a speed of 30 m/min up a 5 degrees incline for 13-17 wk (exercise trained, ET). Studies were conducted with maximally dilated (papaverine) isolated hindquarters of 13 C rats and 10 ET rats perfused with Tyrode's solution containing 5% albumin. Vascular flow capacity was estimated by measuring total and regional flows at three to five different perfusion pressures. Capillary exchange capacity was estimated by measuring maximal capillary filtration coefficients and capillary diffusion capacity for 51Cr-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (51Cr-EDTA). The efficacy of the training was shown by significant increases in succinate dehydrogenase activities of the vastus intermedius muscle. Total hindquarter flow capacity was 50% higher in the ET rats. Regional flow data indicated that the higher total flow was due to increased muscle flow (85%), with the high-oxidative muscle tissue having the greatest increases (e.g., 200% increase in red gastrocnemius muscle). The maximal capillary diffusion capacity values for the ET rats were 70% greater than control values. However, the capillary filtration capacity values of the C and ET rats were not different. We conclude that the vascular transport capacity of the high-oxidative areas of extensor muscles is increased by endurance training.