Plasma catecholamines, beta-adrenergic receptors, and isoproterenol sensitivity in endurance trained and non-endurance trained volunteers.

Six male non-endurance trained subjects (S) and six marathon runners (M) underwent graded treadmill exercise (T) and isoproterenol stimulation (I; 2 and 4 microgram X min-1). beta-adrenergic receptor density was additionally determined as the amount of 3H-Dihydroalprenolol (DHA) specifically bound on intact polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Heart rate, VO2 uptake, lactate, plasma noradrenaline, and adrenaline were estimated during T. Heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, as well as lactate, glucose, free fatty acids (FFA), and glycerol levels in the blood were determined during I. M showed the known training-dependent responses during T, such as lower heart rates, lactate levels, and plasma catecholamines at identical work loads, as well as higher VO2 max than S. I-induced cardiac output increase was quite similar in both groups. Stroke volume, however, increased significantly in M and stayed constant in S. Lactate decreased (S), glucose increased significantly (M), glycerol increased similarly in both groups, FFA rise was less marked in S. I-induced stroke volume response (I) may be indicative of a more economic regulation of heart work in M than S. Lactate decrease and less marked FFA increase, as observed in S, may be the result of a somewhat higher cardiac energy demand, dependent on less economic heart work. Higher DHA-binding as observed in M, as well as stroke volume response and glucose increase, may be indicators of a training-dependent rise in sensitivity to catecholamines. The unsolved question is, however, to what extent beta-receptor responses in intact blood cells are significant for receptor behavior in other organs.