Protein synthesis was measured in rat diaphragms incubated with serum amino acids + 0.35 mM L-[2,6-3H]tyrosine and different energy-yielding substrates. Muscles incubated with 5.5 mM glucose (with or without actinomycin D) synthesized more protein than those incubated with 11 mM pyruvate or 11 mM lactate. Tissue ATP decreased during incubation with lactate, but pyruvate maintained ATP, ADP, and creatine phosphate as well as glucose. Glucose 6-phosphate decreased in muscles incubated in glucose-free media. 14CO2 production from substrates was [1-14C]pyruvate greater than [1-14C]lactate greater than [3,4-14C]glucose. Intracellular lactate/pyruvate was measured to assess cytoplasmic free NADH/NAD+; the effect of different media on these ratios was lactate greater than glucose = lactate + pyruvate greater than pyruvate + glucose greater than pyruvate. Lactate + pyruvate (8.8 + 2.2 mM) supported protein synthesis better than pyruvate and as well as glucose. Adding glucose to pyruvate accelerated protein synthesis and increased NADH/NAD+. Iodoacetate (0.1 mM) inhibited glycolytic NAD reduction and abolished the stimulatory effect of glucose on protein synthesis in the presence of pyruvate. Supplementation of pyruvate media with 1 mM leucine or isoleucine stimulated protein synthesis, but beta-hydroxybutyrate, malate, alpha-ketoisocaproate, and all other amino acids were ineffective. The cytoplasmic redox potential may act as a translational modulator of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle.