Effect of prior eccentric contractions on lactate/h+ transport in rat skeletal muscle. Pilegaard, Henriette, and Sven Asp. Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, August Krogh Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
APStracts 4:0277E, 1997.
The effect of prior eccentric contractions on skeletal muscle lactate/H+ transport was investigated in rats. Lactate transport was measured in sarcolemmal giant vesicles obtained from soleus, red (RG) and white (WG) gastrocnemii muscles two days after intense eccentric contractions (ECC) and from the corresponding contralateral control (CON) muscles. The physio-chemical buffer capacity was determined in the three muscle types from both ECC and CON legs. Furthermore, the effect of prior eccentric contractions on release and muscle content of lactate and H+ during and after supramaximal stimulation was examined using the perfused rat hindlimb preparation. The lactate transport rate was lower (P<0.05) in vesicles obtained from ECC-WG (29%) and ECC-RG (13%) than in vesicles from the contralateral control muscles. The physio-chemical buffer capacity was reduced (P<0.05) in ECC-WG (13%) and ECC-RG (9%) compared with the corresponding control muscles. There were only marginal effects on the soleus muscle. Muscle lactate concentrations and release of lactate during recovery from intense isometric contractions were lower (P<0.05) in ECC than in CON hindlimbs indicating decreased anaerobic glycogenolysis. In conclusion, the sarcolemmal lactate/H+ transport capacity as well as the physio-chemical buffer capacity were reduced in prior eccentrically stimulated WG and RG in rats suggesting that muscle pH regulation may be impaired after unaccustomed eccentric exercise. In addition, the data indicate that the glycogenolytic potential is decreased in muscles exposed to prior eccentric contractions.

Received 13 June 1997; accepted in final form 10 December 1997.
APS Manuscript Number E279-7.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1997 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 7 January 1998