The effects of endurance training and exhaustive exercise on mitochondrial enzymes in tissues of the rat (Rattus norvegicus)

The aim of the present study was to ascertain the effects of training and exhaustive exercise on mitochondrial capacities to oxidize pyruvate, 2-oxoglutarate, palmitoylcarnitine, succinate and ferrocytochrome c in various tissues of the rat. Endurance capacity was significantly increased (P<0.01) by an endurance training program over a period of 5-6 weeks. The average run time to exhaustion was 214.2+/-23.8 min for trained rats in comparison with 54.5+/-11.7 min for their untrained counterparts. Oxidative capacities were reduced in liver (P<0.05) and brown adipose tissue (P<0.05) as a result of endurance training. On the contrary, the oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle was slightly increased and that of heart almost unaffected except for the oxidation of palmitoylcarnitine, which was significantly reduced (P<0.05) as a result of training.