The energetics of human muscle have been investigated in vivo during and after fatiguing aerobic, dynamic exercise. Changes in cytoplasmic pH and concentrations of phosphocreatine, ATP and Pi were followed using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. ATP was significantly depleted in 6 out of 12 experiments and in these 6 experiments decreased to 55 +/- 5% of the pre-exercise concentration. Depleted muscle had a lower phosphocreatine concentration (17 +/- 5% of resting value) and lower pH (6.12 +/- 0.04) than fatigued muscle in which ATP loss was not observed (26 +/- 5% for phosphocreatine and 6.37 +/- 0.09 for pH). The free energy of hydrolysis of ATP was not significantly different in the two groups and was also similar in exhausted and nonexhausted muscle. Loss of ATP was associated with altered recovery of the muscle: [phosphocreatine], [Pi], and pH returned more slowly to their pre-exercise values and the initial rate of oxidative phosphorylation was diminished. The restitution of [ATP] to its pre-exercise value was much slower than that of the other metabolites.

The forearms of six patients with Duchenne dystrophy were examined by the painless and non-invasive technique of high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The phosphorus spectrum was abnormal in that the ratios of phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate

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High-resolution phosphorous (31P)-NMR spectra of biological molecules provide detailed information about the metabolism of living systems. Although the NMR method is non-destructive, all studies so far, with two exceptions, have been carried out on excised, perfused organs and tissues or have required some form of surgery for in situ measurements. The use of 'surface' radiofrequency coils does not require surgery, but is best suited for tissues close to the surface of the animals. We describe here 'topical magnetic resonance'--a new, non-surgical method for acquiring 31P-NMR spectra from a selected, localized place deep within an animal by modifying the main magnetic field, B0, using only static-field gradients. The method is conceptually similar to one spin-imaging method but primarily provides biochemical rather than spatial information. This new technique can be used in fundamental investigations into living systems, clinical diagnosis and the estimation of the efficacy of drug therapy.