No abstract

The influence of muscle oxidative capacity on phosphocreatine (PCr) changes during and after stimulation was examined in the superficial (fast-twitch) section of rat gastrocnemius muscles. Muscle mitochondrial enzymes were increased in one group of rats by 8-10 wk of training on a running wheel (to a final regimen of 50 min/day at 38 m/min, 5 days/wk) and decreased in another group by chemical thyroidectomy [0.025% methimazole (MMI) in drinking water for 8 wk]. After these treatments, muscle citrate synthase activity was 179 and 29%, respectively, of that in corresponding control groups. Muscle PCr and pH were measured by 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy before, during, and after 8 min of isometric twitch stimulation at 0.33 Hz (MMI) or 0.75 Hz (trained) and 2 Hz. There was a significant linear correlation (r = 0.84, P < 0.01) between the rate constant for PCr recovery after submaximal stimulation (0.33 or 0.75 Hz) and citrate synthase activity. Within the control groups, there was a significant correlation (r = 0.72, P < 0.01) between the rate constant for PCr recovery and intracellular pH at the end of stimulation. The results are quantitatively consistent with linear/quasilinear models of respiratory control by the cytoplasmic free energy of ATP hydrolysis but not with respiratory control by cytoplasmic ADP.

The sections in this article are: The Central Role of Adenine Nucleotides Components of the High‐Energy Phosphate System Phosphate Metabolites are a Linked Network Approaches to Understanding Metabolic Control Classic Enzyme Kinetics Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics Regulated Enzymes and the Role of Calcium Determinants of Muscle Cell ATPase Rate The Basal ATPase The Contractile ATPase Metabolite Changes During Muscle Stimulation Methodology The Low‐Rate, Nonfatiguing Domain The High‐Rate, Fatiguing Domain The Transitional Domain Control of Oxidative Phosphorylation in Muscle Kinetic Control by [ ADP ] Thermodynamic Control by Cytoplasmic Phosphates Experimental Tests of Control Models The Importance of Muscle Aerobic Capacity Control of Glycogenolysis/Glycolysis in Muscle The Conventional View Problems with the Conventional View Reaction Disequilibria and Metabolite Diffusion Enzyme Organization Control of Force Generation Summary and Future Directions

Echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging was used to study the effect of exercise rate and duration on magnetic resonance imaging signal intensity (SI) of anterior tibialis muscle in normal human subjects (mean age 35 yr, n = 6). Axial midcalf echo-planar images (repetition time/echo time = 6,000/45, acquisition time = 80 ms) were acquired every 6 s for 1 min before and during 15 min of dynamic ankle dorsiflexion exercise (peak force 36% of 1 repetition maximum) at 10, 20, and 30 contractions/min. At each rate, muscle SI rose along an approximately exponential time course (mean time constant 1.8 min) toward a plateau that was linearly dependent on force times contraction rate (r = 0.64, P < 0.01) but varied significantly among subjects. The results confirm previous reports that changes in muscle SI correlate with exercise intensity, but not with total work performed, over a submaximal range of exercise intensities.

. Vastus lateralis fatigue alters recruitment of musculus quadriceps femoris in humans. J Appl Physiol 92: 679-684, 2002; 10.1152/ japplphysiol.00267.2001.-This study tested the hypothesis that fatigue of a single member of musculus quadriceps femoris (QF) would alter use of the other three muscles during knee extension exercise (KEE). Six men performed KEE with the left QF at a load equal to 50% of the 4 ϫ 10 repetitions maximum. Subsequently, electromyostimulation (EMS), intended to stimulate and fatigue the left m. vastus lateralis (VL), was applied for 30 min. Immediately after EMS, subjects repeated the KEE. Transverse relaxation time (T2)-weighted magnetic resonance images were taken before and after each bout of KEE and at 3 and 30 min of EMS to assess use and stimulation, respectively, of the QF. T2 of each of the QF muscles was increased 8-13% after the first KEE. During EMS, T2 increased (P Ͻ 0.05) even more in VL (10%), whereas it decreased (P Ͻ 0.05) to pre-KEE levels in m. vastus medials (VM) and m. rectus femoris (RF). The VL and, to some extent, the m. vastus intermedius were stimulated, whereas the VM and RF were not, thereby recovering from the first bout of KEE. Isometric torque, initially 30% of maximal voluntary, was reduced to 13% at 3 min and 7% at 30 min. T2 was greater (P Ͻ 0.05) after the second than the first bout of KEE, especially the increase for the VM and RF. These results suggest that subjects were able to perform the second bout with little contribution of the VL by greater use of the other QF muscles. The simplest explanation is increased central command to the QF such that the intended act could be accomplished despite acute fatigue of one of its synergists.