Metabolic response in skeletal muscle fibres of standardbred trotters after racing

Histochemical and biochemical analyses were performed on muscle biopsies obtained after racing from the gluteus muscle of 18 standardbred trotters. Fibre type composition and enzyme activities varied among the horses. The percentage of type IIB fibres showed a positive correlation to the lactate dehydrogenase activity and a negative correlation to the citrate synthase activity. ATP concentrations in whole muscle after racing showed a negative correlation to both lactate and IMP concentrations. Within individual fibres, ATP concentrations varied markedly, with some type II fibres having Values as low as 1-5 mmol/kg d.w. and some fibres having values as high as 40-58 mmol/kg d.w., whereas mean ATP concentration for whole muscle was 18.3 +/- 7.7 mmol/kg d.w. Some fibres with low ATP concentrations revealed high IMP concentrations. Blood samples taken after racing showed high values for lactate, ammonia, and uric acid in plasma. Muscle AMP and ADP concentrations after racing were related to the horses placing in a race, with higher concentrations giving a lower placing. The results of this study show that adenine nucleotide breakdown in muscle is of great importance for energy release during racing, and that ATP and IMP concentrations may vary markedly among individual fibres. Thus, metabolite analyses on whole muscle must be evaluated with caution, as this only represents a mean value for metabolic responses in different fibres during racing. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.