Non-exercising muscle metabolism during exercise

Glycogen decrements have been observed in non-exercising muscles during exercise. We therefore investigated whether the degraded glycogen was retained within the muscle in the form of glycolytic intermediates, or whether it was effluxed from the non-exercising muscles. For these studies a suspension harness was used to unload the hindlimb muscles at rest and during exercise [McDermott et al. (1987) J Appl Physiol 63:1275–1283]. Concentrations of glycogen and glycolytic intermediates glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, glycerol 3-phosphate, and lactate) were measured in non-exercising and exercising muscles (soleus, plantaris, red and white gastrocnemius) during a 90-min exercise bout 15 m/min, 8% grade). On-line electromyographic analysis showed that the contractile activity in the non-exercising muscles was markedly lower than in the exercising muscles. Similar decrements in muscle glycogen levels were observed in both the non-exercising and exercising muscles at the end of the 90-min, exercise bout (P