Influence of endurance training on glucose transport and uptake in rat skeletal muscle

The paired tracer-dilution method applied to the rat hindlimb perfusion technique was used to investigate the effect of a 10-wk treadmill training program on glucose transport and net uptake in rat skeletal muscles. Glycolytic and oxidative marker enzyme activities were determined. The rats were allowed to rest for 2 days before the experiments were carried out, since long-term adaptive changes were to be studied. The endurance training program caused a 30% increase in the 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and citrate synthase activities, but no changes in glycolytic enzymes, confirming that endurance training provokes an increase in the oxidative capacity of the muscle. No significant differences were found in glucose transport rate or net glucose uptake between trained and sedentary rats, which indicates that no long-term adaptive changes in glucose utilization occur in response to endurance training.