Hepatic and skeletal muscle glycogen content in rats treated with metformin and submitted to acute exercise by swimming

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of glycogen reserves over an acute exercise condition (50 minutes of swimming at low intesity), after treatment with metformin in rats. Forty Wistar rats (180- 200g) adults were divided into four groups (treated or not for a fortnight) and represented as follows: Control; Acute exercise by swimming (perform a session of swimming, 50 min on light intensity); Treated with metformin (received the drug metformin at a dose 1.4 mg/ml during the experimental period; Treated with metformin and exercised by swimming (received the drug metformin at a dose 1.4 mg/ml and held a swimming, 50 min on light intensity). The acute exercise decreased the glycogen reserves, while animals treated with metformin showed an increase in their muscle and liver glycogen reserves (p>0,05). Additionally, the drug showed no increase glucose and corticosterone concentration compared to the control and treated with metformin groups (p>0,05). Treatment with metformin improved energy conditions and lowers the stress response, suggesting that an important pharmacological tool for the potentiation of performance.