Post‐exercise intramuscular O₂ supply is tightly coupled with a higher proximal‐to‐distal ATP synthesis rate in human tibialis anterior

Abstract

Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (³¹ P MRS) of human tibialis anterior (TA) revealed a strong proximo-distal gradient in the post-exercise phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery rate constant (k_PCr ), a measure of muscle oxidative capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this k_PCr gradient is related to O₂ supply, resting phosphorylation potential, muscle fibre type, or type of exercise. Fifteen male volunteers performed continuous isometric ankle dorsiflexion at 30% maximum force until exhaustion. At multiple locations along the TA, we measured the oxidative PCr resynthesis rate (V_PCr = k_PCr × PCr depletion) by ³¹ P MRS, the oxyhaemoglobin recovery rate constant (k_O2Hb ) by near infrared spectroscopy, and muscle perfusion with MR intravoxel incoherent motion imaging. The k_O2Hb , k_PCr , V_PCr and muscle perfusion depended on measurement location (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.032 and P = 0.003, respectively), all being greater proximally. The k_O2Hb and muscle perfusion correlated with k_PCr (r = 0.956 and r = 0.852, respectively) and V_PCr (r = 0.932 and r = 0.985, respectively), the latter reflecting metabolic O₂ consumption. Resting phosphorylation potential (PCr/inorganic phosphate) was also higher proximally (P < 0.001). The surrogate for fibre type, carnosine content measured by ¹ H MRS, did not differ between distal and proximal TA (P = 0.884). Performing intermittent exercise to avoid exercise ischaemia, still led to larger k_PCr proximally than distally (P = 0.013). In conclusion, the spatial k_PCr gradient is strongly associated with the spatial variation in O₂ supply. It cannot be explained by exercise-induced ischaemia nor by fibre type. Our findings suggest it is driven by a higher proximal intrinsic mitochondrial oxidative capacity, apparently to support contractile performance of the TA.