VITAMIN-E CONCENTRATION IN RAT SKELETAL-MUSCLE AND LIVER AFTER EXERCISE

The purpose of this study was to determine whether submaximal exercise significantly changes the concentration of vitamin E (alpha Toc) in r at liver and skeletal muscle and to establish a time course for the re turn to basal levels. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, age 8 to 10 weeks, wer e randomly divided into sedentary control (Con) (n = 7) and exercise ( n = 17) groups. Exercised animals ran 100 min on a motorized treadmill at approximately 70% (V)over dot O(2)max for 3 consecutive days. They were then sacrificed immediately postexercise (0Post), 24 hr post (24 Post), or 72 hr post (72Post). The gastrocnemius, red vastus lateralis (RV), white vastus lateralis (WV), and liver were excised and analyze d for alpha Toc concentration by high-performance liquid chromotograph y utilizing electrochemical detection. We found that after 3 consecuti ve days of exercise, alpha Toc was reduced in RV and WV at 0Post and 2 4Post but returned to control values by 72Post. Liver alpha Toc conten t was not changed at 0Post but was significantly reduced at 24Post and 72Post. No significant changes in alpha Toc were observed in the gast rocnemius in response to exercise. The data indicate that following an exercise-related decrease, skeletal muscle vitamin E concentration re quires more than 24 hr to return to the preexercise concentration, and that the replenishment process may involve redistribution of vitamin E from liver to muscle.