Changes in high-energy phosphate metabolism may be important in the regulation of myocardial contractile function during ischemia. This study sought to determine the dynamic relation between myocardial contractile function and high-energy phosphate metabolism during and following brief (24-second) coronary occlusion, when large and rapid changes in both parameters occur. Eight anesthetized, open-chest pigs were instrumented with a Doppler flow probe and occluder on the anterior descending coronary artery, segment length crystals in the anterior left ventricular wall, and a surface coil for phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Phosphorus-31 spectra were reconstructed with a 4.8-second time resolution by summing corresponding short blocks of data from multiple occlusions. Metabolic and functional parameters were unchanged during the first 4.8 seconds of occlusion. During the remainder of occlusion, phosphocreatine progressively declined to 66 +/- 3% of control, inorganic phosphate rose to 170 +/- 8% of control, and segment shortening fell to 25 +/- 9% of control. A strong linear correlation was found between dynamic changes in segment shortening and phosphocreatine (r2 = 0.97), inorganic phosphate (r2 = 0.96), and the ratio of phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate (r2 = 0.98) during occlusion. At any level of the ratio between phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate, segment shortening was greater during reflow than during occlusion. The close, dynamic relation between segment shortening and phosphorus metabolites supports the regulation of contractility by changes in energy metabolism or its by-products during ischemia. During reactive hyperemia, the high coronary flow rate may be an independent factor modulating contractility.