The time course of insulin sensitivity, skeletal muscle glycogen and GLUT4 content, and glycogen synthase (GS) activity after a single bout of intense exercise was examined in eight horses. On separate days, a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (EHC) was undertaken at 0.5, 4, or 24 h after exercise or after 48 h of rest [control (Con)]. There was no increase in mean glucose infusion rate (GIR) with exercise (0.5-, 4-, and 24-h trials), and GIR was significantly decreased at 0.5 h postexercise (GIR: 8.6 ± 2.7, 6.7 ± 2.0, 9.0 ± 2.0, and 10.6 ± 2.2 mg·kg−1·min−1 for Con and at 0.5, 4, and 24 h, respectively). Before each EHC, muscle glycogen content (mmol glucosyl units/kg dry muscle) was higher ( P < 0.05) for Con (565 ± 102) than for other treatments (317 ± 84, 362 ± 79, and 382 ± 74 for 0.5, 4, and 24 h, respectively) and muscle GLUT4 content was unchanged. Pre-EHC active-to-total GS activity ratio was higher ( P < 0.05) at 0.5, 4, and 24 h after exercise than in Con. Post-EHC active GS and GS activity ratio were higher ( P < 0.05) in Con and at 24 h. There was a significant inverse correlation ( r = −0.43, P = 0.02) between glycogen content and GS activity ratio but no relationship between GS activity and GIR. The lack of increase in insulin sensitivity, determined by EHC, after exercise that resulted in a significant reduction in muscle glycogen content is consistent with the slow rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis observed in equine studies.
Aerobic Exercise Plus Weight Loss Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Increases Skeletal Muscle Glycogen Synthase Activity in Older Men
