Blood Lactate Levels in Free-Swimming Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) Before and After Strenuous Exercise Resulting in Fatigue

Abstract

Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) were exercised to fatigue in a series of 60-min stepwise increasing velocity increments. There was no increase in blood lactate concentration, serially sampled during swimming by means of indwelling dorsal and ventral aortic catheters, at velocities as high as 93% of critical velocity of individuals. The data show that under these conditions the rate of production of lactate by white muscle, at less than critical velocities, is minimal or that the rate of elimination of lactate from white muscle is equal to its rate of utilization elsewhere. Immediately following fatigue blood lactate level increases rapidly. During the recovery period there appears to be a net uptake of lactate by the gills.