Exercise training improves insulin-mediated capillary recruitment in association with glucose uptake in rat hindlimb. Diabetes

Exercise training is considered to be beneficial in the treatment and prevention of insulin insensitivity, and much of the effect occurs in muscle. We have recently shown that capillary recruitment by insulin in vivo is associated with and may facilitate insulin action to increase muscle glucose uptake. In the present study, we examined the effect of 14 days of voluntary exercise training on euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamped (10 mU min1 kg1 for 2 h), anesthetized rats. Whole-body glucose infusion rate (GIR), hindleg glucose uptake, femoral blood flow (FBF), vascular resistance, and cap-illary recruitment, as measured by metabolism of in-fused 1-methylxanthine (1-MX), were assessed. In sedentary animals, insulin caused a significant (P < 0.05) increase in FBF (1.6-fold) and capillary recruit