The conditions under which increased motor activity leads to raised resistance of the myocardium to injury were studied. Motor activity was raised by running on a treadmill; myocardial resistance was evaluated quantitatively from the extent of isoprenaline (ISO)-induced lesions. After 3 weeks of forced running (5 days a week), using an adequate daily dose, the cardiotoxic effect of ISO was reduced. Adequacy of the daily dose of exercise depended both on the distance run per day and on the rate at which the animals ran. If the training regimen was continued for further weeks, with the same daily dose of exercise, there was no significant increase in protection of the myocardium. In animals aged less than 3 months, myocardial resistance changed after higher daily doses of running than those needed in older animals. The cardioprotective effect of increased motor activity was not conditioned by increase in the weight of the myocardium.

The role of myocardial glycogen content for the development of isoprenaline-induced myocardial lesions in different inbred strains of rats