The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of aqueous extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza on plasma lipid and hydroxyproline levels and skeletal muscle Na + -K + -ATPase and Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ -ATPase activities in swimming exercise rats. Adult Sprague-Dawley male rats, 3 months of age, were assigned randomly to a sedentary control (n = 10) or exercise (n = 10) group or SME-treatent groups (exercise + SME) (n = 10 in each group). Ten animals in sedentary control group did not receive any exercise. Animals in exercise group received exercise. Animals in SME-treatent groups (exercise + SME) received exercise orally given with S. miltiorrhiza extract (50, 100 or 150 mg/kg body weight), respectively. Result showed that aqueous extract of S. miltiorrhiza can decrease blood total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels, enhance hydroxyproline levels in bone, skeletal muscle, heart and lung, and skeletal muscle Na + -K + -ATPase and Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ -ATPase activities in swimming exercise rats.