Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in blood ammonia, lactate and glucose in men and women induced by an intermittent rowing exercise performed on the Concept II ergometer. The subjects (10 men and 10 women) performed three 5 min exercise bouts at 50, 70 and 85 of maximal power output, separated by 5 min intermissions. Glucose and ammonia were determined in plasma of venous blood withdrawn at rest and within 1 min after exercise. Blood lactate was determined in capillary blood at rest and 3 min after exercise. No changes were observed in plasma glucose by the end of exercise. Post-exercise blood lactate concentration was moderate indicating a submaximal exercise intensity and was similar in men and women (7.1 and 6.6 mmol/l, respectively). Both pre- and post-exercise plasma ammonia levels were significantly lower in women than in men and were not correlated either with the lean body mass, power output in the last exercise bout, or with the post-exercise lactate in blood. It was concluded that lower anaerobic capacity of female muscles is responsible for lower concentration of post-exercise ammonia. Moreover, the contribution of aerobic processes in an intermittent exercise is markedly higher than in a continuous one, leading to a lack of correlation between blood lactate and ammonia. Verf.-Referat