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Biomedical subjects

H G Knuttgen

Publications and source records attributed to H G Knuttgen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Effects of high-intensity cycle exercise on sympathoadrenal-medullary response patterns.

Plasma proenkephalin peptide F immunoreactivity and catecholamines were examined on separate days in nine healthy males before and after maximal exercise to exhaustion at four intensities [36, 55, 73, and 100% of maximal leg power (MLP)] by use of a computerized cycle ergometer. The mean duration of 36, 55, 73, and 100% MLP was 3.31, 0.781, 0.270, and 0.1 min, respectively. All intensities were greater than those eliciting peak O2 uptake for the individual subjects. Blood samples were obtained before, immediately after exercise, and 5 and 15 min after exercise. Significant (P less than 0.05) increases in plasma peptide F immunoreactivity (i.e., from mean resting value of 0.18 to 0.43 pmol/ml) were observed immediately after exercise at 36% MLP. Significant increases in plasma epinephrine were observed immediately after exercise at 36% MLP (i.e., from mean resting value of 2.22 to 3.11 pmol/ml) and 55% MLP (i.e., from mean resting value of 1.67 to 2.98 pmol/ml) and 15 min after exercise at 100% MLP (i.e., from mean resting value of 1.92 to 3.88 pmol/ml). Significant increases for plasma norepinephrine were observed immediately after exercise (36, 55, 73, and 100% MLP), 5 min after exercise (36, 55, and 73% MLP), and 15 min after exercise (36% MLP). Increases in whole blood lactate were observed at all points after exercise for 36, 55, and 73% MLP and 5 min after exercise for 100% MLP. These data show that brief high-intensity exercise results in differential response patterns of catecholamines and proenkephalin peptide F immunoreactivity.

Adrenal Medulla

Factors in maximal power production and in exercise endurance relative to maximal power.

The relationship of muscle fiber type and mass to maximal power production and the maintenance of power (endurance time to exhaustion) at 36%, 55%, and 73% of maximal power was investigated in 18 untrained but physically active men. Power output was determined at constant pedalling rate (60 rev.min-1) on a cycle ergometer instrumented with force transducers and interfaced with a computer. Maximal power was determined for each subject as the highest one-revolution average power. Fat-free mass was determined by hydrostatic weighing, fat-free thigh volume by water displacement and skinfold measurement, and percentage and area of type II fibers from biopsy specimens taken from the vastus lateralis. Maximal power averaged 771 +/- 149 W with a range of 527-1125 W. No significant correlations were found among percentage of type II fibers, relative area of type II fibers, or fat-free thigh volume and maximal power or endurance times to exhaustion at any percentage of maximal power. Weak but significant relationships were found for fat-free mass with both maximal power (r = 0.57) and endurance time at 73% of maximal power (r = -0.47). These results show maximal power to be more dependent on factors related to body size than muscle-fiber characteristics. The low correlations for so many of the relationships, however, suggest that individuals employ either different combinations of these factors or utilize other strategies for the generation of high power.

Ergonomics

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses to short-duration high-intensity cycle exercise.

beta-Endorphin (beta-EP), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), and cortisol plasma concentrations were examined before and after maximal exercise at four intensities [36, 55, 73, and 100% of maximal leg power (MLP)] by means of a computerized cycle ergometer. All intensities were greater than those eliciting peak O2 uptake for the individual subjects. Blood samples were collected at rest, immediately after exercise, and at 5 and 15 min postexercise. Significant (P less than 0.05) increases were observed at 36% MLP for beta-EP and ACTH immediately after exercise and at 5 and 15 min postexercise. Plasma cortisol increased at 36% MLP at 15 min postexercise. Blood lactate significantly increased at all postexercise collection points for exercise intensities of 36, 55, and 73% MLP and at 5 min postexercise for 100% MLP. beta-EP concentrations at 36% MLP were significantly correlated (r = 0.75) with capillary density (mm-2), and cortisol concentrations at 36% MLP were significantly correlated (r = 0.89) with percentage of type II muscle fibers. No other significant relationships were observed. These data show that brief, high-intensity exercise up to maximal power production results in a nonlinear response pattern in peripheral blood hormone concentrations. Furthermore, blood lactate levels do not appear to be related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal hormone plasma concentrations at high exercise intensities.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

Strength conditioning in older men: skeletal muscle hypertrophy and improved function.

The effects of strength conditioning on skeletal muscle function and mass were determined in older men. Twelve healthy untrained volunteers (age range 60-72 yr) participated in a 12-wk strength training program (8 repetitions/set; 3 sets/day; 3 days/wk) at 80% of the one repetition maximum (1 RM) for extensors and flexors of both knee joints. They were evaluated before the program and after 6 and 12 wk of training. Weekly measurements of 1 RM showed a progressive increase in strength in extensors and flexors. By 12 wk extensor and flexor strength had increased 107.4 (P less than 0.0001) and 226.7% (P less than 0.0001), respectively. Isokinetic peak torque of extensors and flexors measured on a Cybex II dynamometer increased 10.0 and 18.5% (P less than 0.05) at 60 degrees/s and 16.7 and 14.7% (P less than 0.05) at 240 degrees/s. The torque-velocity relationship showed an upward displacement of the curve at the end of training, mainly in the slow-velocity high-torque region. Midthigh composition from computerized tomographic scans showed an increase (P less than 0.01) in total thigh area (4.8%), total muscle area (11.4%), and quadriceps area (9.3%). Biopsies of the vastus lateralis muscle revealed similar increases (P less than 0.001) in type I fiber area (33.5%) and type II fiber area (27.6%). Daily excretion of urinary 3-methyl-L-histidine increased with training (P less than 0.05) by an average 40.8%. Strength gains in older men were associated with significant muscle hypertrophy and an increase in myofibrillar protein turnover.

Aged

Automated data collection and processing for a cycle ergometer.

A system is described for collection and processing of data from a cycle ergometer. Cycle pedals, specially made to withstand the extremely high forces exerted during maximal power cycling, contain transducers to measure pedal angle relative to the crank and foot forces both perpendicular and parallel to the pedal surface. An additional transducer monitors crank position. Output signals are conditioned, amplified, digitized by a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter, fed into a computer at 100 Hz/channel, and mathematically smoothed to attenuate noise. For each sample interval, foot force components perpendicular and parallel to the crank arm are calculated. Power generated on each crank revolution is determined from transducer information. Computer graphics display pedaling parameters vs. crank angle in both rectangular and circular format. Data files containing variables descriptive of pedaling force curves are produced to enable computerized statistical analysis of cycling performance.

Computer Graphics

Exercise endurance time as a function of percent maximal power production.

To develop and validate a mathematical model of the relationship between endurance time (T) and power production, 15 male subjects were first tested for maximal power on an instrumented cycle ergometer at 60 rpm. On subsequent days, they were tested for T at various percentages of maximal power. Curves of T as a function of percent maximal power were curvilinear, and could be made to overlap among subjects by individual abscissa scaling, which resulted in the appearance of horizontal stretching or compression of the curves. The degree of stretching-compression was defined by a statistically obtained scaling factor (F) which served to quantify each subject's endurance ability at fractions of maximal power. F was used to transform percent of maximal power to a scaled power variable (Psc). A curve of the form T = a(Psc)b was developed on 10 of the subjects and validated on the remaining five. Correlation between predicted and actual T was 0.967 for the fitting group and 0.980 for the validation group. A maximal power test and a single endurance test at 40 to 50% of maximal power were found to establish individual endurance-power curves fairly well, with a correlation of 0.828 between actual and predicted T. The combination of F and maximal power for a given physical activity provide a useful profile of an individual's ability to perform at constant exercise intensity.

Adult

Metabolic and ventilatory responses to steady state exercise relative to lactate thresholds.

The metabolic and ventilatory responses to steady state submaximal exercise on the cycle ergometer were compared at four intensities in 8 healthy subjects. The trials were performed so that, after a 10 min adaptation period, power output was adjusted to maintain steady state VO2 for 30 min at values equivalent to: (1) the aerobic threshold (AeT); (2) between the aerobic and the anaerobic threshold (AeTAnT); (3) the anaerobic threshold (AnT); and (4) between the anaerobic threshold and VO2max (AnTmax). Blood lactate concentration and ventilatory equivalents for O2 and CO2 demonstrated steady state values during the last 20 min of exercise at the AeT, AeAnT and AnT intensities, but increased progressively until fatigue in the AnTmax trial (mean time = 16 min). Serum glycerol levels were significantly higher at 40 min of exercise on the AeAnT and the AnT when compared to AeT, while the respiratory exchange ratios were not significantly different from each other. Thus, metabolic and ventilatory steady state can be maintained during prolonged exercise at intensities up to and including the AnT, and fat continues to be a major fuel source when exercise intensities are increased from the AeT to the AnT in steady state conditions. The blood lactate response to exercise suggests that, for the organism as a whole, anaerobic glycolysis plays a minor role in the energy release system at exercise intensities upt to and including the AnT during steady state conditions.

Adult

Metabolic changes following eccentric exercise in trained and untrained men.

The effects of one 45-min bout of high-intensity eccentric exercise (250 W) were studied in four male runners and five untrained men. Plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity in these runners was higher (P less than 0.001) than in the untrained men before exercise and peaked at 207 IU/ml 1 day after exercise, whereas in untrained men the maximum was 2,143 IU/ml 5 days after exercise. Plasma interleukin-1 (IL-1) in the trained men was also higher (P less than 0.001) than in the untrained men before exercise but did not significantly increase after exercise. In the untrained men, IL-1 was significantly elevated 3 h after exercise (P less than 0.001). In the untrained group only, 24-h urines were collected before and after exercise while the men consumed a meat-free diet. Urinary 3-methylhistidine/creatinine in the untrained group rose significantly from 127 mumol/g before exercise to 180 mumol/g 10 days after exercise. The results suggest that in untrained men eccentric exercise leads to a metabolic response indicative of delayed muscle damage. Regularly performed long distance running was associated with chronically elevated plasma IL-1 levels and serum CK activities without acute increases after an eccentric exercise bout.

Creatine Kinase

Heart rate break point may coincide with the anaerobic and not the aerobic threshold.

Recently, Conconi et al. (4) proposed that the point where heart rate departs from linearity in an incremental exercise test is a good predictor of the aerobic threshold (AeT, i.e., the exercise intensity at which blood lactate concentration increases systematically above resting levels). We hypothesized that this heart rate break point (BrP) is a better predictor of the anaerobic threshold (AnT, i.e., the exercise intensity at which blood lactate concentration shows a rapid rise during an incremental test). To test this hypothesis, 11 subjects with different levels of conditioning were tested on a cycle ergometer using a progressive incremental exercise protocol. Heart rate from EKG tracings and blood samples for lactate determination were taken every minute. The results showed the following significant correlation coefficients when the variables were expressed in watts: AeT and AnT = 0.92; AeT and BrP = 0.89; AnT and BrP = 0.97. The AeT was significantly lower than the BrP (166.4 +/- 52.6 W and 234.5 +/- 69.5 W). There was no significant difference between the AnT and BrP (240.0 +/- 67.1 W and 234.5 +/- 69.5 W). Another group consisting of 16 subjects performed two tests to evaluate the reproducibility of the BrP. Although a ventilatory AnT (defined as a consistent decrease in the fraction of expired CO2) was noted in all the tests, eight subjects failed to demonstrate a BrP in at least one of the evaluations, even though post-exercise blood lactate levels and peak heart rates were consistent with a maximal effort.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Effects of previous exercise with arms or legs on metabolism and performance in exhaustive exercise.

The ability of additional muscles to perform after certain other muscles of the body had been exercised to exhaustion was studied in three male subjects. Exhaustive exercise was performed in two series: series L-A, a bout of leg exercise preceded a bout of arm exercise; series A-L, arm preceded leg (6-min recovery between bouts). Biopsies were taken during the course of each experiment from both the deltoideus and vastus lateralis muscles for determination of ATP, creatine phosphate, lactate, and pyruvate. Exhaustive exercise led to marked elevations in lactate and decreases in ATP and CP in exercised muscle and marked increases in blood lactate concentration. Similar changes, especially in lactate, were observed during and after the first exercise bout in nonexercised muscle. When arm or leg exercise was performed as the second bout, decreases in performance time were observed as compared to performance as the initial bout. It is suggested that the performance potential of muscle is decreased because of internal changes elicited by elevated blood lactate and/or blood H+ concentrations brought about by other muscle groups previously exercised to exhaustion.

Adenosine Triphosphate