Training adaptations of baboons to light and moderate treadmill exercise

We evaluated training adaptations by 18 baboons (Papio cynocephalus anubis) to low and moderate quadrupedal walking exercise on a motorized treadmill. Moderate training produced 47% increases in lactate threshold, 63% increases in muscle citrate synthetase activity, increases in percentage of Type IIc muscle fibers, and reduced plasma insulin concentrations. Low training produced only reduced plasma insulin concentrations. Our results indicate that the baboon response to exercise training was similar to that of Homo sapiens, and dependent on exercise intensity.