EFFECT OF CHRONIC ALCOHOL INTAKE ON ENERGY-METABOLISM IN HUMAN MUSCLE

We investigated the effect of alcohol on muscle energy metabolism by u sing P-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 12 chronic alcoholics [6 with neurological signs and symptoms (such as cerebellar ataxia or dip lopia) and 6 without neurological signs or symptoms], compared with fi ve healthy subjects who also received acute alcohol loading. Intracell ular pH and phosphocreatine (PCr) index [PCr/ (PCr + Pi)] were measure d during rest, exercise, and recovery in the left flexor digitorum sup erficialis muscle. In healthy subjects, acute alcohol loading did not influence the changes of muscle pH and PCr index. Alcoholics with neur ological signs showed marked decreases in muscle intracellular pH and PCr index during exercise and a marked delay of pH recovery after exer cise. There was no delay of PCr index recovery. Alcoholics without neu rological signs showed slight decreases in intracellular pH and PCr in dex, but rapid recovery of both intracellular pH and PCr index was obs erved. Marked decrease and delayed recovery in pH, but rapid recovery of PCr index, indicate that the muscle of patients with neurological s igns produced lactate during and after exercise to maintain the ATP le vel, which implies that anaerobic metabolism is favored over aerobic m etabolism in these patients.