Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of treadmill running on the oxidative capacity of regenerated rodent skeletal muscle. The soleus, plantaris, and gastrocnemius muscles were removed under general anaesthesia from one hindlimb of young female rats (N = 15). The visible whiteportion of the latter muscle was minced into 1 cbmm fragments and autotransplanted leaving both the tibial and sural nerves intact. Six animals were treadmill run daily beginning 4 days post-surgery. Intensity and duration wereprogressively increased such that by day 45 the animals were running 1 h at 21.5 mmin up a 15 grade. The regenerated muscle homogenates had a significantly lower capacity for maximal pyruvate + malate oxidation and smaller massrelative to the contralateral gastrocnemius. The exercise program significantly increased these parameters, tending to normalize the values. Some factor associated with exercise stimulated recovery from the muscular trauma. Verf.-Referat