Increased resting metabolic rate and lipid oxidation in exercise-trained individuals: evidence for a role of β-adrenergic stimulation

This study investigated the contribution of beta-adrenergic stimulation to the increase in resting metabolic rate (RMR) and lipid oxidation observed in exercise-trained individuals. Nine trained and eight sedentary men were subjected to two testing sessions, during which these variables were measured before and for 3 h after the oral administration of propranolol or placebo. As expected, RMR and lipid oxidation were significantly higher in the trained subjects before the administration of propranolol and throughout the placebo test in comparison with sedentary controls. A significant decrease in RMR and lipid oxidation was induced by propranolol in the trained subjects, whereas no change was observed in the untrained group, and this effect of propranolol was sufficient to abolish the difference between the two groups at baseline and under the placebo condition. Propranolol also induced a significant reduction in heart rate and systolic blood pressure, but the response was comparable in the two groups. In conclusion, the results of this study show that beta-adrenergic stimulation is involved in the increase in RMR and lipid oxidation observed in highly trained individuals. Moreover, the absence of a training-propranolol interaction effect on heart rate and systolic blood pressure suggests the existence of some dissociation between the metabolic and cardiovascular effects of prolonged exercise training.