Metabolic effects of intermittent exercise by patients with stage II arterial occlusive disease

During intermittent exercise lasting six minutes with two minutes'rest the fluctuations in arterial and venous blood of lactate, pyruvate and blood gases as well as changes in the lactate pyruvate ratio were studied in eleven patients with intermittent claudication. There were significant differences of O 2 -extraction during intermittent exercise. The level of arterial lactate did not vary significantly. The highest venous lactate was found during the rest period. Significant differences in venous lactate, pyruvate and lactate pyruvate ratio were found between the first and second exercise periods. It is assumed that the rate of glycolysis is reduced during intermittent exercise