Trained humans (Tr) have a higher fat oxidation during submaximal physical work than sedentary humans (Sed). To investigate whether this reflects a higher adipose tissue lipolytic sensitivity to catecholamines, we infused epinephrine (0.3 nmol.kg-1.min-1) for 65 min in six athletes and six sedentary young men. Glycerol was measured in arterial blood, and intercellular glycerol concentrations in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue were measured by microdialysis. Adipose tissue blood flow was measured by 133Xe-washout technique. From these measurements adipose tissue lipolysis was calculated. During epinephrine infusion intercellular glycerol concentrations were lower, but adipose tissue blood flow was higher in trained compared with sedentary subjects (P < 0.05). Glycerol output from subcutaneous tissue (Tr: 604 +/- 322 nmol.100 g-1.min-1; Sed: 689 +/- 203; mean +/- SD) as well as arterial glycerol concentrations (Tr: 129 +/- 36 microM; Sed: 119 +/- 56) did not differ between groups. It is concluded that in intact subcutaneous adipose tissue epinephrine-stimulated blood flow is enhanced, whereas lipolytic sensitivity to epinephrine is the same in trained compared with untrained subjects.