Figure 5.
Leg insulin-stimulated glucose clearance is increased 4 hours after exercise. Four hours after one-legged cycling for 1 hour, leg glucose clearance (X̄±SE, n=7) was measured for rested (closed circles) and exercised (open circles) legs before (time 0), during (7–120 minutes), and after the infusion of insulin. Arterial insulin concentrations reached a plateau at ∼100 μU/mL by 15 minutes and returned to baseline values within 30 minutes after the cessation of the insulin infusion. During the insulin infusion, total glucose clearance was nearly 2-fold higher in the exercised leg than in the control leg (P<.005). Blood flow was similar at 0 minutes in the control and exercised legs but was slightly higher in the exercised leg than in the control leg during the insulin infusion (50±2 versus 42±3 mL/min/kg of muscle; P<.05). Reprinted with permission from Wojtaszewski JF, Hansen BF, Gade J, et al. Insulin signaling and insulin sensitivity after exercise in human skeletal muscle. Diabetes. 2000;49:325–331. Copyright 2000, American Diabetes Association.