The production of AMP by adenylate kinase (AK) and subsequent deamination by AMP deaminase limits ADP accumulation during conditions of high-energy demand in skeletal muscle. The goal of this study was to investigate the consequences of AK deficiency (Ϫ/Ϫ) on adenine nucleotide management and whole muscle function at high-energy demands. To do this, we examined isometric tetanic contractile performance of the gastrocnemius-plantaris-soleus (GPS) muscle group in situ in AK1 Ϫ/Ϫ mice and wild-type (WT) controls over a range of contraction frequencies (30 -120 tetani/min). We found that AK1 Ϫ/Ϫ muscle exhibited a diminished inosine 5Ј-monophosphate formation rate (14% of WT) and an inordinate accumulation of ADP (ϳ1.5 mM) at the highest energy demands, compared with WT controls. AK-deficient muscle exhibited similar initial contractile performance (521 Ϯ 9 and 521 Ϯ 10 g tension in WT and AK1 Ϫ/Ϫ muscle, respectively), followed by a significant slowing of relaxation kinetics at the highest energy demands relative to WT controls. This is consistent with a depressed capacity to sequester calcium in the presence of high ADP. However, the overall pattern of fatigue in AK1 Ϫ/Ϫ mice was similar to WT control muscle. Our findings directly demonstrate the importance of AMP formation and subsequent deamination in limiting ADP accumulation. Whole muscle contractile performance was, however, remarkably tolerant of ADP accumulation markedly in excess of what normally occurs in skeletal muscle. AMP deaminase; tetanic contraction; muscle relaxation; calcium handling; cross-bridge cycling SKELETAL MUSCLE can maintain favorable energetic conditions in the face of great energetic demands. For example, the ATP consumption rate needed to support a tetanic contraction (ϳ10 mol/g per second) is ϳ200-fold above the resting rate in rat fast twitch fibers (28, 42). The metabolic challenge this represents is highlighted by the fact that the ATP content of mammalian skeletal muscle is only 6 -7 mol/g. Therefore, without compensation, the entire ATP pool would be completely depleted in Ͻ1 s at this rate. Obviously, this does not occur due to the ATP synthetic processes of oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, the creatine kinase (CK) reaction, and the adenylate kinase (AK) reaction. Moreover, the free energy available from ATP hydrolysis (⌬G ATP ) is a function of the ATP content relative to the products of ATP hydrolysis, namely ADP and inorganic phosphate (P i )where ⌬G°A TP is the conventional expression for the free engery of ATP at standard conditions, R is the ideal gas constant at 0.0083143 kJ/mol⅐K, and T is the temperature in Kelvin. Furthermore, the accumulation of ADP and P i direct physiological consequences independent of an impaired ⌬G ATP . Thus, the metabolic challenge when ATP turnover is high, is to preserve ATP content and limit inordinate accumulation of ADP and P i .When the rate of ATP hydrolysis is out of balance with the rate of ATP synthesis, the need to limit the accumulation of ADP and P i is the greatest. The rea...