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APS REFRESHER COURSE REPORT

OXYGEN TRANSPORT AND UTILIZATION: AN INTEGRATION OF THE MUSCLE SYSTEMS

Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093

Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: R. S. Richardson, Dept. of Medicine, Medical Teaching Facility, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093–0623 (E-mail: rrichardson{at}ucsd.edu)

Abstract

Exercise offers a unique stage from which to study and teach the integration of physiological systems. In this article, the process of matching O₂ transport from air to its ultimate consumption in the contracting cell is utilized to integrate the workings of the cardiac, smooth, and skeletal muscle systems. Specifically, the physiology of exercise and the maximal oxygen consumption (V^·O_{2 max}) achieved through the precise linking of these three muscle systems are utilized to highlight the complexity and importance of this integration. Smooth muscle plays a vital "middleman" role in the distribution of blood-borne O₂ to the appropriate area of demand. Cardiac muscle instigates the convective movement of this O₂, whereas skeletal muscle acts as the recipient and ultimate consumer of O₂ in the synthesis of ATP and performance of work. In combination, these muscle systems facilitate the remarkable 15- to 30-fold increase in metabolic rate from rest to maximal effort in endurance-type exercise.

Key words: review; cardiovascular; metabolism; exercise; blood flow

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