Assessment of Metabolic Flexibility by Means of Measuring Blood Lactate, Fat, and Carbohydrate Oxidation Responses to Exercise in Professional Endurance Athletes and Less-Fit Individuals

BACKGROUND: ] as exercise power output (PO) increases, a condition termed 'metabolic inflexibility'. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess metabolic flexibility across populations with different metabolic characteristics. METHODS: ] measurements to study the metabolic responses to exercise in PAs, moderately active individuals (MAs), and MtS individuals. RESULTS: ] for all data points corresponding to all populations studied was r = -0.76 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: ] and FATox rate during exercise provide an indirect method to assess metabolic flexibility and oxidative capacity across individuals of widely different metabolic capabilities.