1. Adrenaline-stimulated lipolysis in adipose tissue may increase with training. The rate-limiting step in adipose tissue lipolysis is catalysed by the enzyme hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). We studied the effect of exercise training on the activity of the total and the activated form of HSL, referred to as HSL (DG) and HSL (TG), respectively, and on the concentration of HSL protein in retroperitoneal (RE) and mesenteric (ME) adipose tissue, and in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles in rats. 2. Rats (weighing 96 +/- 1 g, mean +/- S.E.M.) were either swim trained (T, 18 weeks, n = 12) or sedentary (S, n = 12). Then RE and ME adipose tissue and the EDL and soleus muscles were incubated for 20 min with 4.4 microM adrenaline. 3. HSL enzyme activities in adipose tissue were higher in T compared with S rats. Furthermore, in RE adipose tissue, training also doubled HSL protein concentration (P < 0.05). In ME adipose tissue, the HSL protein levels did not differ significantly between T and S rats. In muscle, HSL (TG) activity as well as HSL (TG)/HSL (DG) were lower in T rats, whereas HSL (DG) activity did not differ between groups. Furthermore, HSL protein concentration in muscle did not differ between T and S rats (P > 0.05). 4. In conclusion, training increased the amount of HSL and the sensitivity of HSL to stimulation by adrenaline in intra-abdominal adipose tissue, the extent of the change differing between anatomical locations. In contrast, in skeletal muscle the amount of HSL was unchanged and its sensitivity to stimulation by adrenaline reduced after training.