THE FUEL FOR MUSCULAR EXERCISE

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Abstract
From the survey of the literature it is obvious that the use of carbohydrate is of primary importance as a fuel for muscular exercise in man. The evidence comes from the slight increase in efficiency on a carbohydrate diet, the prolongation of muscular effort when carbohydrate is ingested, the fall in blood sugar during long continued muscular exercise and the production of lactate at the beginning of exercise and during severe exercise. The evidence that protein is used during exercise indicates that it is of considerable importance, probably to supply carbo-hydrate or carbohydrate intermediates. The results of expts. on fat utilization during muscular work have demonstrated that this substance is used indirectly. There is no exptl. evidence at the present time for the direct utilization of fat by mammalian muscle. However, the indirect utilization of protein or fat must be an efficient process, since the exclusive feeding of these substances to man does not have a marked effect on muscular efficiency during short periods of exercise.

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