Effects of endurance training on oxidative capacity and structural composition of human arm and leg muscles

Six healthy subjects performed endurance training of the same duration with legs and arms consecutively. Performance and muscle structure were measured before and after training in lower and upper limbs. Training induced similar increases in maximal oxygen consumption (6 ± 1 vs. 7 ± 2 mL min−1 kg−1:...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta physiologica Scandinavica 1997-11, Vol.161 (4), p.459-464
Main Authors: TURNER, D.L., HOPPELER, H., CLAASSEN, H., VOCK, P., KAYSER, B., SCHENA, F., FERRETTI, G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Arm - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Body Composition - physiology
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Exercise - physiology
Exercise Test
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Leg - physiology
Male
maximal oxygen consumption
mitochondria
Mitochondria, Muscle - metabolism
muscle oxidative capacity
Muscle, Skeletal - physiology
Muscle, Skeletal - ultrastructure
Oxygen Consumption - physiology
Physical Endurance
Space life sciences
Striated muscle. Tendons
Vertebrates: osteoarticular system, musculoskeletal system
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Summary:Six healthy subjects performed endurance training of the same duration with legs and arms consecutively. Performance and muscle structure were measured before and after training in lower and upper limbs. Training induced similar increases in maximal oxygen consumption (6 ± 1 vs. 7 ± 2 mL min−1 kg−1: legs vs. arms, P > 0.05) and mitochondrial volume in leg and arm muscles (42 ± 12 vs. 31 ± 11%: legs vs. arms, P > 0.05). The gain in mitochondrial volume after training was achieved solely by increasing the fraction of mitochondria (+40 ± 11%, P  0.05) in the legs. In contrast, increased muscle volume (+14 ± 3%, P  0.05), occurred in the arms after training. Thus, similar improvements in muscle oxidative capacity in upper and lower limbs were brought about by different mechanisms. It is suggested that due to infrequent use and a lack of load‐bearing function, arm muscle volume is underdeveloped in untrained, sedentary or detrained/injured subjects and that the mode of endurance training used in this study is sufficient to enlarge arm muscle volume as well as aerobic capacity.
ISSN:0001-6772
1365-201X
DOI:10.1046/j.1365-201X.1997.00246.x