OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of sugar supplementation on the activation of AMPK in the exercised myocardium by measuring the changes in the activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and glycogen content in rats after acute exercise.
Method: Rats perform acute endurance exercise and supplemented with different doses of supplementary glucose at different times before and after exercise. Western blot was used to measure the dynamic changes of rat myocardial AMPK activity, and the anthrone method was used to measure myocardial glycogen content.
Result: Exercise induced a significant increase in the activity of AMPK in the myocardium of rats and remained at a high level 1 h after acute exercise. However, the activity of AMPK in the myocardium of rats with exercise supplementation did not increase significantly. Neither exercise nor low-dose sugar supplementation can cause significant changes in the glycogen content of rats. Only high-dose sugar supplementation can significantly increase glycogen content 24 h after exercise.
Conclusion: (1) Acute exercise can increase the activity of AMPK in rat myocardium, and sugar supplementation can significantly inhibit the activation of AMPK during acute exercise and after exercise. (2) High-dose sugar supplementation after exercise can effectively increase the myocardial glycogen content at 24 h after exercise.