Metabolic and hemodynamic responses to exercise in subcutaneous adipose tissue and skeletal muscle

This study evaluated the effect of standardized bicycle exercise on metabolism and blood flow in abdominal (aSAT) and femoral subcutaneous adipose tissue (fSAT) and skeletal muscle in eleven women and nine men. Using microdialysis, the respective tissues were perfused with Ringer's solution (+ 50 mM ethanol) and dialysate [ethanol], [glycerol], [lactate] and [pyruvate] were measured in order to estimate blood flow (ethanol dilution technique), lipolysis and glycolysis, respectively. At rest, blood flow tended to be higher in the respective tissues of women when compared to men. During exercise, blood flow was increased significantly in fSAT and muscle, but not in aSAT. Dialysate [glycerol] was increased two- to three-fold in aSAT and fSAT, similarly in men and women. However, in muscle, dialysate [glycerol] was increased five-fold in women and four-fold in men without reaching a steady state in women. Corrected for blood flow, the increase in lipolysis was greater in muscle than in fSAT, and greater in fSAT than in aSAT, and in muscle the increase was greater for women compared with men. Dialysate [lactate] and [lactate]/[pyruvate] ratio were much more increased in muscle compared with aSAT and fSAT. It is concluded that lipids stored in muscle are rather used than lipids stored in adipose tissue for fueling the energy metabolism of muscle during exercise. During exercise, lipid mobilization is much greater in women than in men.