The cardiac energy metabolites such as ATP, phosphocreatine, ADP and NADH are kept relatively constant over a wide range of cardiac workload, though the mechanisms are not yet clarified. One possible regulator of mitochondrial metabolism is Ca , because it activates several mitochondrial enzymes and transporters. Here we constructed a mathematical model of cardiac mitochondria, including oxidative phosphorylation, substrate metabolism and ion/substrate transporters, based on experimental data, and studied whether the Ca -dependent activation mechanisms play roles in metabolite constancy. Under the in vitro condition of isolated mitochondria, where malate and glutamate were used as mitochondrial substrates, the model well reproduced the Ca and inorganic phosphate (P ) dependences of oxygen consumption, NADH level and mitochondrial membrane potential. The Ca -dependent activations of the aspartate/glutamate carrier and the F F -ATPase, and the P -dependent activation of Complex III were key factors in reproducing the experimental data. When the mitochondrial model was implemented in a simple cardiac cell model, simulation of workload transition revealed that cytoplasmic Ca concentration ([Ca ] ) within the physiological range markedly increased NADH level. However, the addition of pyruvate or citrate attenuated the Ca dependence of NADH during the workload transition. Under the simulated in vivo condition where malate, glutamate, pyruvate, citrate and 2-oxoglutarate were used as mitochondrial substrates, the energy metabolites were more stable during the workload transition and NADH level was almost insensitive to [Ca ] . It was revealed that mitochondrial substrates have a significant influence on metabolite constancy during cardiac workload transition, and Ca has only a minor role under physiological conditions.