Ligature and section of the abdominal aorta results in only minor and temporary functional and metabolic changes in the slow soleus muscle of the rat. A very small decrease in maximal tetanic tension corresponds to a few scattered areas of damaged and necrotic muscle fibres, in which decreased succinic dehydrogenase and loss of phosphorylase activity was observed. A new experimental approach, i.e. ligature and section of the abdominal aorta combined with terminal devascularisation, preserving intact tendons and innervation of the muscle causes maximal muscle ischemia, followed by an almost complete loss of tetanic tension output, marked shortening of contraction time and profound morphological and histochemical changes. The decrease in succinic dehydrogenase and ATPase activities and loss of phosphorylase activity occur in the majority of degenerating muscle fibres except for a thin rim of peripheral fibres during the first 4 days. Subsequently, the contractile properties recover gradually and enzyme activities reappear in the regenerating muscle fibres simultaneously with new revascularisation. Thirty days after the operation all the parameters observed returned to control values.