Skeletal muscle capillarization and oxidative metabolism in healthy smokers

• Published in: Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism Vol. 33; no. 6; pp. 1240 - 1245
• Main Authors: Wüst, Rob C.I, Jaspers, Richard T, van der Laarse, Willem J, Degens, Hans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa Presses scientifiques du CNRC 01.12.2008; NRC Research Press; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Adult; aerobiosis; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; capacité oxydative; Capillaries - drug effects; capillarisation; capillarization; Correlation analysis; Demographic aspects; Exercise; Fatigue; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health aspects; histochemistry; Humans; Male; Metabolism; Middle Aged; muscle fatigue; Muscle Fatigue - drug effects; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal - ultrastructure; muscle squelettique; Muscle, Skeletal - blood supply; Muscle, Skeletal - drug effects; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Muscles; Musculoskeletal system; myoglobin; Myoglobin - drug effects; Myoglobin - metabolism; myoglobine; nutrition; oxidative capacity; Oxidative stress; Oxygen - metabolism; oxygenation; oxygénation; Physiological aspects; skeletal muscle; Smokers; Smoking; Smoking - metabolism; succinate dehydrogenase (quinone); Succinate Dehydrogenase - drug effects; Succinate Dehydrogenase - metabolism; usage du tabac; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports; Young Adult; United Kingdom; Netherlands; Human; Myoglobin; Tobacco; Smoker; Striated muscle; Metabolism; Oxygenation
• ISSN: 1715-5312; 1715-5320; 1715-5320
• DOI: 10.1139/H08-116

We investigated whether the lower fatigue resistance in smokers than in nonsmokers is caused by a compromised muscle oxidative metabolism. Using calibrated histochemistry, we found no differences in succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, myoglobin concentration, or capillarization in sections of the vastus lateralis muscle between smokers and nonsmokers. The relationship between fatigue resistance and SDH activity in nonsmokers (r = 0.93; p = 0.02) is absent in smokers. This indicates that the lower muscle fatigue resistance of smokers can likely be attributed to causes other than differences in oxidative metabolism and capillarization.