George J. F. Heigenhauser

Short-term training increases human muscle MCT1 and femoral venous lactate in relation to muscle lactate

We examined the effects of increasing a known lactate transporter protein, monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), on lactate extrusion from human skeletal muscle during exercise. Before and after short-term bicycle ergometry training [2 h/day, 7 days at 65% maximal oxygen consumption (V˙o 2 max)], subjects ( n = 7) completed a continuous bicycle ergometer ride at 30%V˙o 2 max (15 min), 60%V˙o 2 max (15 min), and 75% V˙o 2 max (15 min). Muscle biopsy samples (vastus lateralis) and arterial and femoral venous blood samples were obtained before exercise and at the end of each workload. After 7 days of training the MCT1 content in muscle was increased (+18%; P < 0.05). The concentrations of both muscle lactate and femoral venous lactate were reduced during exercise ( P < 0.05) that was performed after training. High correlations were observed between muscle lactate and venous lactate before training ( r = 0.92, P < 0.05) and after training ( r = 0.85, P < 0.05), but the slopes of the regression lines between these variables differed markedly. Before training, the slope was 0.12 ± 0.01 mM lactate ⋅ mmol lactate-1 ⋅ kg muscle dry wt-1, and this was increased by 33% after training to 0.18 ± 0.02 mM lactate ⋅ mmol lactate-1 ⋅ kg muscle dry wt-1. This indicated that after training the femoral venous lactate concentrations were increased for a given amount of muscle lactate. These results suggest that lactate extrusion from exercising muscles is increased after training, and this may be associated with the increase in skeletal muscle MCT1.We examined the effects of increasing a known lactate transporter protein, monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), on lactate extrusion from human skeletal muscle during exercise. Before and after short-term bicycle ergometry training [2 h/day, 7 days at 65% maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max)], subjects (n = 7) completed a continuous bicycle ergometer ride at 30% VO2max (15 min), 60% VO2max (15 min), and 75% VO2max (15 min). Muscle biopsy samples (vastus lateralis) and arterial and femoral venous blood samples were obtained before exercise and at the end of each workload. After 7 days of training the MCT1 content in muscle was increased (+18%; P < 0.05). The concentrations of both muscle lactate and femoral venous lactate were reduced during exercise (P < 0.05) that was performed after training. High correlations were observed between muscle lactate and venous lactate before training (r = 0.92, P < 0.05) and after training (r = 0.85, P < 0.05), but the slopes of the regression lines between these variables differed markedly. Before training, the slope was 0.12 +/- 0.01 mM lactate.mmol lactate-1.kg muscle dry wt-1, and this was increased by 33% after training to 0.18 +/- 0.02 mM lactate.mmol lactate-1.kg muscle dry wt-1. This indicated that after training the femoral venous lactate concentrations were increased for a given amount of muscle lactate. These results suggest that lactate extrusion from exercising muscles is increased after training, and this may be associated with the increase in skeletal muscle MCT1.