The effect of physical training in elderly subjects with special reference to energy‐rich phosphagens and myoglobin in leg skeletal muscle

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Abstract
Summary. Energy‐rich phosphagens and myoglobin were determined in leg skeletal muscles of seven, 61‐ to 80‐year‐old, apparently healthy male subjects. The study was repeated after the participants had been exercising on an ergometer bicycle twice weekly for 6 weeks. Before training, myoglobin and all intramuscular energy‐rich phosphagens were within the range recorded for a larger series of subjects of similar age. When re‐examined after training the myoglobin level remained the same but creatine decreased significantly and the ratio between phosphocreatine and total creatine increased. A slight but significant rise was also observed for the ATP/ADP ratio. It is concluded that age‐related changes of intramuscular phosphagens in elderly subjects in part might be due to physical inactivity.