Effects of endurance swimming training on myocardial contractility and left ventricular myosin isoenzymes were examined in diabetic rats. A diabetic condition was induced in 15-week-old male Wistar rats, by intravenous injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). Swimming training was carried out for five to six weeks (90 min/day, 6 days/week). In order to estimate myocardial contractility, the isometric developed tension of the isolated left ventricular papillary muscle was measured. Myosin isoenzymes were obtained by pyrophosphate gel electrophoresis. Fasting blood glucose of the trained group was significantly lower than that of the sedentary group (sedentary vs. trained = 409.6 +/- 25.9 vs. 266.3 +/- 20.5 mg/dl, p less than 0.001). There was no significant difference in isometric developed tension (T) between the two groups, and the dT/dtmax of the trained group showed a tendency to increase (sedentary vs. trained, T: 2.8 +/- 0.8 vs. 2.9 +/- 0.8 g/mm2, dT/dtmax: 23.1 +/- 3.6 vs. 26.2 +/- 3.5 g/mm2.s, p less than 0.1). Myocardial mechanical responses to isoproterenol and dibutyryl cAMP were increased in the trained group. Left ventricular myosin isoenzyme pattern was shifted towards VM-1 by endurance swimming (sedentary vs. trained, VM-1: 5.6 +/- 4.5 vs. 19.6 +/- 8.8%, p less than 0.001, VM-3: 75.1 +/- 10.0 vs. 54.9 +/- 14.7%, p less than 0.001). These results indicate that endurance swimming can improve disordered glucose metabolism and also influence myocardial contractility, myocardial catecholamine responsiveness, and energetics in myocardial contraction.