Abstract
Purpose
Autophagy is an intracellular degradative system sensitive to hypoxia and exercise-induced perturbations to cellular bioenergetics. We determined the effects of low-intensity endurance-based exercise performed with blood-flow restriction (BFR) on cell signaling adaptive responses regulating autophagy and substrate metabolism in human skeletal muscle.
Methods
In a randomized cross-over design, nine young, healthy but physically inactive males completed three experimental trials separated by 1 week of recovery consisting of either a resistance exercise bout (REX: 4 × 10 leg press repetitions, 70% 1-RM), endurance exercise (END: 30 min cycling, 70% VO2peak), or low-intensity cycling with BFR (15 min, 40% VO2peak). A resting muscle biopsy was obtained from the vastus lateralis 2 weeks prior to the first exercise trial and 3 h after each exercise bout.
Results
END increased ULK1Ser757 phosphorylation above rest and BFR (~37 to 51%, P < 0.05). Following REX, there were significant elevations compared to rest (~348%) and BFR (~973%) for p38γ MAPKThr180/Tyr182 phosphorylation (P < 0.05). Parkin content was lower following BFR cycling compared to REX (~20%, P < 0.05). There were no exercise-induced changes in select markers of autophagy following BFR. Genes implicated in substrate metabolism (HK2 and PDK4) were increased above rest (~143 to 338%) and BFR cycling (~212 to 517%) with END (P < 0.001).
Conclusion
A single bout of low-intensity cycling with BFR is insufficient to induce intracellular “stress” responses (e.g., high rates of substrate turnover and local hypoxia) necessary to activate skeletal muscle autophagy signaling.
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Abbreviations
- AMPK:
-
AMP-activated protein kinase
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- Atg:
-
Autophagy-related gene
- BFR:
-
Blood-flow restriction
- BM:
-
Body mass
- BNIP3:
-
Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa-interacting protein-3
- eIF2α:
-
Eukaryotic initiation factor 2α
- eIF2Bε:
-
Eukaryotic initiation factor 2Bε
- END:
-
Endurance exercise
- ERK1/2:
-
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2
- ES:
-
Effect size
- GLUT4:
-
Glucose transporter 4
- GS:
-
Glycogen synthase
- GSK3β:
-
Glycogen synthase kinase 3β
- HK:
-
Hexokinase
- LC3b:
-
Microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain 3 beta
- MAPK:
-
Mitogen-activated protein kinase
- mTORC1:
-
Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1
- PDK4:
-
Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4
- PGC-1α:
-
PPARγ-coactivator-1α
- REX:
-
Resistance exercise
- RM:
-
Repetition maximum
- SQSTM1:
-
p62/sequestosome-1
- ULK1:
-
Unc-51-like kinase 1
- VO2peak :
-
Peak oxygen uptake
- W:
-
Watts
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Acknowledgements
This study was funded by an ACU Collaborative Research Network Grant to JAH (2013000443). The authors would also like to express gratitude for the FAPESP (2014/00985-0) and FAEPEX for financial support.
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Communicated by Carsten Lundby.
W. J. Smiles and M. S. Conceição contributed equally to this work.
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Smiles, W.J., Conceição, M.S., Telles, G.D. et al. Acute low-intensity cycling with blood-flow restriction has no effect on metabolic signaling in human skeletal muscle compared to traditional exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 345–358 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3530-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3530-8