Abstract

Mechanisms for increased claudication distance following physical training were studied in ten patients with peripheral arterial insufficiency. The exercise capacity on a bicycle ergometer increased by an average of 26 after 3-4months of training (P<0.05). Neither maximum lower leg blood flow during the exercise test nor oxygen uptake at exhaustion changed significantly after training (-8 and + 5 , respectively), whereas popliteal-venous O2-saturation was lower at exhaustion after the training than before (8.5 +/- 3.2 and 11.4 +/- 4.6, respectively, P<0.05). Anaerobic glycolysis, as evidenced by thelactate release, was also lowered after the training (P<0.05). In conclusion, the present study shows that the increased exercise capacity following physical training in claudicants is associated with an increased local aerobic working capacity despite a virtually unchanged blood flow. This increased aerobicexercise capacity might partly be explained by an increased O2 extraction in the lower leg during exercise. Verf.-Referat