Moderate physical exercise for a few hours is not expected to reduce the hepatic elimination of drugs exhibiting capacity-limited metabolism (low-clearance drugs such as antipyrine). However, previous studies have shown that antipyrine half-life, measured by the multiple-sampling technique, is increased by exercise. A simplified one-sample procedure for antipyrine clearance determination is increasingly being used as a liver function test. The effects of exercise on this measurement have never been evaluated. We measured antipyrine clearance, using the one-sample, simplified procedure in a group of 50 young Italian army soldiers, while at rest and during a 6 hour march in the mountains (extra energy expenditure: 7.43 kjoule per min). Mean antipyrine clearance was on average 46.6 (SD 10.2) ml/min (range 30.5-65.4) while resting, and 46.2 (10.5) (range 25.5-64.8) while exercising (not different). No specific advice regarding physical exercise is needed whenever liver function is measured in outpatients by the one-sample, simplified antipyrine clearance test.