The relationship between glycogen content of leg muscles and working capacity in patients with intermittent claudication

Abstract

The relationship between the glycogen content of the vastus lateralis muscle and the working duration was determined in 6 patients with intermittent claudication. The working duration was determined on a bicycle ergometer at a load of 450 kpm/min. Muscle glycogen was determined in percutaneous needle biopsy specimens. The resting glycogen content in the vastus muscle increased significantly after depletion of the stores by physical exercise followed by glucose feeding for 2 days. This increase was associated with an increased working duration. This improvement of the working duration connected with high muscle glycogen content was a temporary phenomenon. When the duration was measured shortly after exercise, i.e. after depletion of the glycogen stores it was reduced to the preexperimental level. The improved working duration associated with increased glycogen content of leg muscles did not seem to be related to the improved walking capacity in claudication patients after physical conditioning.