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Changes in acid-base equilibrium and blood lactate and pyruvate concentrations were studied during recovery (breathing room air) after three days hypercapnia (FICO2 = 0.10) in awake dogs. Fast return to FICO2 = 0 produced a slight alkalosis in arterial blood and an increase in lactate and pyruvate concentrations which seemed to be maximum at the 15th minute. These changes were inhibited by previous injection of acetazolamide (50 mg/kg body weight). During progressive return to FICO2 = 0, over 1 hour, the peak value of blood lactate and pyruvate was delayed until the end of that hour, at the same time as a slight blood alkalosis appeared. These phenomen are most probably explained by a stimulation, due to alkalosis, of glycolysis at the level of phosphofructokinase.

In order to obtain information about physiological and homeostasic responses at the maximal Intensity of Endurance of the 45 min "Square-Wave Endurance Exercise Test" (MIE45), three arterial blood samples were taken: (a) at rest; (b) at the 45th min of the SWEET; (c) after 15 min of recovery, to measure paO2, paCO2, [H+], [Hb], and [lactate] in 14 normal male subjects: four trained (T) six well trained (WT) and four others untrained (U). Total mechanical work (TMW) corresponding to MIE45 was significantly higher (mean +/- SEM) respectively in WT (9.22 +/- 0.65 kJ . kg-1, p less than 0.001), than in T (7.17 +/- 0.18 kJ . kg-1, p less than 0.01) and U subjects (4.44 +/- 0.36, p less than 0.001). Because of this the lactate level, which rose significantly during exercise, differed between U and WT subjects (p less than 0.05). In spite of the exhaustive character of the MIE45, [H+] and paO2 remained within the range of normal values. These results suggest that trained and untrained subjects can be trained with the exhausting MIE45 exercise while maintaining a constant [H+] and paO2 at the 45th min of exercise.