Effect of Prolonged Strenuous Exercise on the Concentration of Triglycerides, Phospholipids and Glycogen in Muscle of Man

Muscle tissue from the lateral vastus of the femoral muscle was taken by needle biopsy technique in 7 male subjects before and after strenuous exercise by skiing for about 7 hrs. The mean muscle triglyceride concentration decreased from 17 to 8 μmoles/g wet weight during the exercise. No change was observed in the phospholipid concentration. The mean glycogen concentration in the muscle decreased from 16 to 7 mg/g sswet weight during the exercise. The results indicate that not only muscle glycogen but also muscle triglycerides are of importance for the energy metabolism in man during exercise.