Most studies coneerning the influence of exercise on insulin secretion, only dealt with the level of plasma IRI. Dur aim was to measure both insulin catabolism and pancreatic responsiveness.Muscular exercise (bicycle ergometer, Power 80 W, workload 40% of max V02), maintained in steady state of ven-. tilation during 40 min, was performed by several groups of normal subjects. The following results were obtained.(1) In normoglycemia or in hyperglycemia caused by glucose infusion, exercise induced no decrease in plasma IRI level Hl The metabolie clearance rate of a constant infusion of I-insulin (0.2 atom I/mol) showed a reduction averaging 17% whereas no change in extracellular spaee could be detected. This decrease in insulin catabolism was associated with a similar decrease in the clearanee rates of labelIed hippuran and BSP. (3) Insulin response to glucagon injection was markedly reduced. (4) Plasma norepinephrine levels were increased.In conclusion, the absenee of change in plasma IRI level often described in non strenuous exercise results from the balance of two antagonistic phenomena: a decreased secretion rate probably related to the release of endogenous catecholamines and a decreased catabolic rate, apparently due to changes in liver and kidney haemodynamics. Horm. Metab. Res. 3: 366·373 (1971) K e y -W 0 r d s: Exercise -Plas1TU1 Glucose -PlaS1TU1 Insulin -LabelIed Insulin Catabolillm -Response to Glu· cagon -BSP -Hippuran -Catecholamines
IntroductionMost studies concerning the influence of muscular exercise on insulin metabolism only dealt with estimations of plasma insulin concentrations. The results depended on the importance of the work load and on the duration of its performance. In normal subjects, mild exercise or moderate exercise of short duration elicits no systematic or significant change in the level of plasma insulin (Rasio, Malaisse, Franckson and Conard 1966, Cochran, Marbach, Poucher, Steinberg and Gwinup 1966, Schalch 1967