Elsevier

Metabolism

Volume 46, Issue 10, October 1997, Pages 1206-1210
Metabolism

Lovastatin increases exercise-induced skeletal muscle injury

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0026-0495(97)90218-3Get rights and content

Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that exercise in combination with a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor produces greater creatine kinase (CK) elevations, an index of skeletal muscle injury, than exercise alone, using a double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Fifty-nine healthy men aged 18 to 65 years with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels greater than 3.36 mmol/L (130 mg/dL) despite diet therapy were studied. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive Iovastatin (40 mg/d) or placebo for 5 weeks. Subjects completed 45 minutes of downhill treadmill walking (−15% grade) at 65% of their predetermined maximum heart rate after 4 weeks of treatment. During the subsequent week, they completed four 10-repetition sets of one-arm biceps curl exercise using 50% of their maximum capacity. CK levels were measured before exercise and daily for 4 and 5 days after the treadmill and biceps exercises, respectively. Age, body weight, and blood lipid and lipoprotein levels were similar in lovastatin and placebo groups. Resting CK levels were 33% higher in the lovastatin group before treatment (P < .05), but were not significantly altered by Iovastatin. CK levels were 62% and 77% higher (P < .05) in the lovastatin group 24 and 48 hours after treadmill exercise after adjusting for initial CK differences. There were no significant CK differences between lovastatin and placebo groups after biceps curl exercise. We conclude that HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors exacerbate exercise-induced skeletal muscle injury.

References (27)

  • P Reaven

    Lovastatin, nicotinic acid and rhabdomyolsis

    Ann Intern Med

    (1988)
  • JA Ayanian et al.

    Lovastatin and rhabdomyolysis

    Ann Intern Med

    (1988)
  • C East et al.

    Rhabdomyolysis in patients receiving lovastatin after cardiac transplantation

    N Engl J Med

    (1988)
  • Cited by (152)

    • A Mechanism for Statin-Induced Susceptibility to Myopathy

      2019, JACC: Basic to Translational Science
    • Statins and muscle damage

      2018, Nutrition and Skeletal Muscle
    View all citing articles on Scopus

    Supported by grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Division, the Hethea and Richard Nye Foundation, the Haire Family, William Jakober, and the McNulty Family.

    View full text