To determine the relationship between oxidative capacity and characteristics of beta-adrenergic receptors (beta AR) in skeletal muscle, selected biochemical variables were quantitated in particulate preparations from soleus and gastrocnemius muscle from rats subjected to 10 wk of treadmill running and from three control groups: free-fed, sedentary controls; food-restricted, pair-weighted controls; and animals trained by swimming. Beta AR density and isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity were considerably greater in the slow-twitch oxidative soleus muscle than in the mixed fiber type gastrocnemius in animals from each group (P less than 0.005). Succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity of gastrocnemius was increased 23-42% (P less than 0.05) in runners over each of the control groups, concommitantly with a 15-27% increase (P less than 0.05) in beta AR density (Bmax for binding of 125I-cyanopindolol). In 24 animals from all four treatment groups, there was a significant correlation between SDH activity and beta AR density (r = 0.68; P less than 0.001). We conclude that BAR density correlates positively with oxidative capacity in skeletal muscle, but further studies are required to determine the physiological importance of these differences.