The responses of AMP deaminase (AMPD) and branched-chain oxoacid dehydrogenase (BCOAD) to moderate (70% maximal O2 consumption for 90 min) followed by intense (90% maximal O2 consumption to exhaustion) cycling exercise were evaluated in the active skeletal muscle of human subjects (n = 8). The exercise conditions invoke different energy demands and ammonia production rates. Active muscle and plasma ammonia concentrations continuously increased throughout moderate exercise in the absence of significant inosine 5-monophosphate accumulation. The free activity of AMPD decreased during moderate exercise (by approximately 25-35%), whereas myosin-bound activity did not change. BCOAD was significantly dephosphorylated (activated) at 5 min and was continuously dephosphorylated during moderate exercise (to a maximum of approximately 21%). Ammonia accumulation rate increased dramatically during the higher intensity exercise accompanied by inosine monophosphate accumulation of approximately 2 mmol/kg dry muscle. The higher intensity exercise caused no further changes in AMPD activity distribution or BCOAD dephosphorylation. Resting muscle percent bound AMPD was notably higher than values previously reported for rat muscle. Increases in percent bound AMPD during exercise were the result of decreases in the sum of free and bound activities and not increases in bound activity. The results of this study do not support a role for myosin binding in the activation of AMPD in human skeletal muscle.