The relative abundance and subcellular distribution of the GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 glucose transporter isoforms were determined in basal and insulin-stimulated adipose cells from wheel cage exercise-trained rats and compared with both age-matched sedentary controls and young cell size-matched sedentary controls. Exercise training increased total estimated GLUT-4 by 67 and 54% compared with age-matched and young controls, respectively. Total estimated GLUT-1 per cell was not significantly different among the three groups. Expressed per cell, plasma membrane GLUT-4 protein in basal adipose cells from exercise-trained and age-matched control rats was 2.5-fold greater than in young controls (P < 0.05) and was associated with higher basal rates of glucose transport in these cells (P < 0.02). In insulin-stimulated cells, plasma membrane GLUT-4 was 67% greater in the exercise-trained animals than young controls (P < 0.01), and 31% greater than in age-matched controls. Rates of glucose transport were correspondingly higher. In basal cells, low-density microsomal GLUT-4 from exercise-trained rats was approximately twofold greater than from age-matched controls and young controls. With insulin stimulation, GLUT-4 in low-density microsomes decreased to similar levels in all groups. We conclude that the total amount of GLUT-4 protein, but not GLUT-1, is increased in adipose cells by exercise training and that this increase in GLUT-4 is due primarily to an increase in intracellular GLUT-4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)