Open AccessLactate production without hypoxia in skeletal muscle during electrical cycling: Crossover study of femoral venous-arterial differences in healthy volunteers
Author(s) -
Jan Gojda,
Petr Waldauf,
Natália Hrušková,
Barbora Blahutová,
Adéla Krajčová,
Tomáš Urban,
Petr Tůma,
Kamila Řasová,
František Duška
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0200228
Subject(s) - supine position , medicine , cycling , hypoxia (environmental) , crossover study , skeletal muscle , functional electrical stimulation , venous blood , cardiology , stimulation , endocrinology , chemistry , oxygen , pathology , alternative medicine , archaeology , organic chemistry , history , placebo
Background Aim of the study was to compare metabolic response of leg skeletal muscle during functional electrical stimulation-driven unloaded cycling (FES) to that seen during volitional supine cycling. Methods Fourteen healthy volunteers were exposed in random order to supine cycling, either volitional (10-25-50 W, 10 min) or FES assisted (unloaded, 10 min) in a crossover design. Whole body and leg muscle metabolism were assessed by indirect calorimetry with concomitant repeated measurements of femoral venous-arterial differences of blood gases, glucose, lactate and amino acids. Results Unloaded FES cycling, but not volitional exercise, led to a significant increase in across-leg lactate production (from -1.1±2.1 to 5.5±7.4 mmol/min, p<0.001) and mild elevation of arterial lactate (from 1.8±0.7 to 2.5±0.8 mM). This occurred without widening of across-leg veno-arterial (VA) O 2 and CO 2 gaps. Femoral SvO 2 difference was directly proportional to VA difference of lactate (R 2 = 0.60, p = 0.002). Across-leg glucose uptake did not change with either type of exercise. Systemic oxygen consumption increased with FES cycling to similarly to 25W volitional exercise (138±29% resp. 124±23% of baseline). There was a net uptake of branched-chain amino acids and net release of Alanine from skeletal muscle, which were unaltered by either type of exercise. Conclusions Unloaded FES cycling, but not volitional exercise causes significant lactate production without hypoxia in skeletal muscle. This phenomenon can be significant in vulnerable patients’ groups.