The present study was performed to investigate as to whether peripheral insulin resistance exists in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). After a 12 h fasting period, SHR had significantly higher serum glucose and higher plasma glucagon values in comparison to normotensive control rats (WKY). There was a tendency for higher serum insulin concentrations as well, but this difference did not reach significance. After oral glucose loading or glucose/insulin administration, serum glucose and insulin levels were also higher in SHR compared to WKY rats. Muscle glycogen and glucose concentrations were identical in fasted SHR and WKY rats. With an oral glucose load or glucose/insulin treatment there was a significant increase in muscle glycogen, whereas glucose values declined in skeletal muscle. Both total (a+b-form) phosphorylase activity as well as the active a-form of the enzyme were similar in skeletal muscle of SHR and WKY rats. Glucose/insulin administration or oral glucose loading induced a considerable reduction of both a+b-form and a-form activities. The decrease in muscle phosphorylase activities was almost identical in both groups of animals. There was also a comparable activity of muscle glycogen synthetase activity in all groups of rats. Despite subtile changes of glucose, glucagon and to a lesser degree insulin levels which would be suggestive of insulin resistance, the data obtained from skeletal muscle argue against peripheral insulin resistance in spontaneously hypertensive rats.