Impaired muscle glycogen resynthesis after a marathon is not caused by decreased muscle GLUT-4 content

S Asp, T Rohde, Erik A. Richter

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Our purpose was to investigate whether the slow rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis after a competitive marathon is associated with a decrease in the total muscle content of the muscle glucose transporter (GLUT-4). Seven well-trained marathon runners participated in the study, and muscle biopsies were obtained from the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle before, immediately after, and 1, 2, and 7 days after the marathon, as were venous blood samples. Muscle GLUT-4 content was unaltered over the experimental period. Muscle glycogen concentration was 758 +/- 53 mmol/kg dry weight before the marathon and decreased to 148 +/- 39 mmol/kg dry weight immediately afterward. Despite a carbohydrate-rich diet (containing at least 7 g carbohydrate.kg body mass-1.day-1), the muscle glycogen concentration remained 30% lower than before-race values 2 days after the race, whereas it had returned to before-race levels 7 days after the race. We conclude that the total GLUT-4 protein content is unaltered in the lateral gastrocnemius after a competitive marathon and that the slow recovery of muscle glycogen after the race apparently involves factors other than changes in the total content of this protein.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Applied Physiology
Volume83
Issue number5
Pages (from-to)1482-1485
Number of pages4
ISSN8750-7587
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1997

Keywords

  • Adult
  • Creatine Kinase
  • Diet
  • Exercise
  • Glucose Transporter Type 4
  • Glycogen
  • Glycogen Synthase
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Monosaccharide Transport Proteins
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Muscle, Skeletal
  • Physical Endurance
  • Running
  • Time Factors

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