Evaluation of exercise and training on muscle lipid metabolism.

To evaluate the hypothesis that endurance training increases intramuscular triglyceride (IMTG) oxidation, we studied leg net free fatty acid (FFA) and glycerol exchange during 1 h of cycle ergometry at two intensities before training [45 and 65% of peak rate of oxygen consumption (V(O2) peak)] and after training [65% pretraining V(O2) peak, same absolute workload (ABT), and 65% posttraining V(O2) peak, same relative intensity (RLT)]. Nine male subjects (178.1 +/- 2.5 cm, 81.8 +/- 3.3 kg, 27.4 +/- 2.0 yr) were tested before and after 9 wk of cycle ergometer training, five times per week at 75% V(O2) peak. The power output that elicited 66.1 +/- 1.1% of V(O2) peak before training elicited 54.0 +/- 1.7% after training due to a 14.6 +/- 3.1% increase in V(O2) peak. Training significantly (P < 0.05) decreased pulmonary respiratory exchange ratio (RER) values at ABT (0.96 +/- 0.01 at 65% pre- vs. 0.93 +/- 0.01 posttraining) but not RLT (0.95 +/- 0.01). After training, leg respiratory quotient (RQ) was not significantly different at either ABT (0.98 +/- 0.02 pre- vs. 0.98 +/- 0.03 posttraining) or RLT (1.01 +/- 0.02). Net FFA uptake was increased at RLT but not ABT after training. FFA fractional extraction was not significantly different after training or at any exercise intensity. Net glycerol release, and therefore IMTG lipolysis calculated from three times net glycerol release, did not change from rest to exercise or at ABT but decreased at the same RLT after training. Muscle biopsies revealed minor muscle triglyceride changes during exercise. Simultaneous measurements of leg RQ, net FFA uptake, and glycerol release by working legs indicated no change in leg FFA oxidation, FFA uptake, or IMTG lipolysis during leg cycling exercise that elicits 65% pre- and 54% posttraining V(O2) peak. Training increases working muscle FFA uptake at 65% V(O2) peak, but high RER and RQ values at all work intensities indicate that FFA and IMTG are of secondary importance as fuels in moderate and greater-intensity exercise.