TY - JOUR
T1 - Skeletal muscle monocarboxylate transporter content is not different between black and white runners
AU - Harley, Yolande
AU - Kohn, Tertius
AU - St Clair Gibson, Alan
AU - Noakes, Timothy
AU - Collins, Malcolm
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - The superior performance of black African runners has been associated with lower plasma lactate concentrations at sub-maximal intensities compared to white runners. The aim was to investigate the monocarboxylate transporters 1 (MCT1) and MCT4 content in skeletal muscle of black and white runners. Although black runners exhibited lower plasma lactate concentrations after maximum exercise (8.8 ± 2.0 vs. 12.3 ± 2.7 mmol l−1, P <0.05) and a tendency to be lower at 16 km h−1 (2.4 ± 0.7 vs. 3.8 ± 2.4 mmol l−1, P = 0.07) than the white runners, there were no differences in MCT1 or MCT4 levels between the two groups. For black and white runners together, MCT4 content correlated significantly with 10 km personal best time (r = −0.74, P <0.01) and peak treadmill speed (r = 0.88, P <0.001), but MCT1 content did not. Although whole homogenate MCT content was not different between the groups, more research is required to explain the lower plasma lactate concentrations in black runners.
AB - The superior performance of black African runners has been associated with lower plasma lactate concentrations at sub-maximal intensities compared to white runners. The aim was to investigate the monocarboxylate transporters 1 (MCT1) and MCT4 content in skeletal muscle of black and white runners. Although black runners exhibited lower plasma lactate concentrations after maximum exercise (8.8 ± 2.0 vs. 12.3 ± 2.7 mmol l−1, P <0.05) and a tendency to be lower at 16 km h−1 (2.4 ± 0.7 vs. 3.8 ± 2.4 mmol l−1, P = 0.07) than the white runners, there were no differences in MCT1 or MCT4 levels between the two groups. For black and white runners together, MCT4 content correlated significantly with 10 km personal best time (r = −0.74, P <0.01) and peak treadmill speed (r = 0.88, P <0.001), but MCT1 content did not. Although whole homogenate MCT content was not different between the groups, more research is required to explain the lower plasma lactate concentrations in black runners.
KW - lactate
KW - fibre type
KW - ethnicity
KW - performance
U2 - 10.1007/s00421-008-0942-0
DO - 10.1007/s00421-008-0942-0
M3 - Article
VL - 105
SP - 623
EP - 632
JO - European Journal of Applied Physiology
JF - European Journal of Applied Physiology
SN - 1439-6319
IS - 4
ER -