RESUMEN
Oxidation of lactate at rest (RE, n=4), or after short strenuous exercise (EX, n=6) was investigated in rats. Food and water were given ad libitum before experiment. In EX, rats ran to exhaustion at the speed of 80-100 m·min<SUP>-1</SUP>. Immediately after exercise, 4 μCi of (U-<SUP>14</SUP>C) lactate was injected into aorta through an indwelling catheter. In RE, (U-<SUP>14</SUP>C) lactate was injected into the rats at rest. Expired gas was collected by a Brooks type bottomless chamber on treadmill belt for 120 min. In EX, exercise duration was 109±18 sec (mean±SE), and maximum blood lactate concentration after the exercise was 23.7±2.1 mM (mean±SE) . Cumulative percent recovery of <SUP>14</SUP>C as <SUP>14</SUP>CO<SUB>2</SUB> for 120 min was 48.5±2.8% for EX and 61.7±0.9% for RE (mean±SE) . Significant difference was found between these two rates (p<0.01) . After 50 min of recovery, mean volume of <SUP>14</SUP>CO<SUB>2</SUB> expired per min in RE was significantly greater than that in EX (p<0.01) . Mean volume of <SUP>14</SUP>CO<SUB>2</SUB> expired per min per VCO<SUB>2</SUB> in RE was always greater than that in EX, and significant difference was found at 7.5 min of recovery (p<0.01) . It is concluded that although the rate of recovery of <SUP>14</SUP>C as <SUP>14</SUP>CO<SUB>2 </SUB>after exercise is lower than that at rest, the major pathway of lactate metabolism after short strenuous exercise is oxidation.