Calcineurin is not involved in some mitochondrial enzyme adaptations to endurance exercise training in rat skeletal muscle

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that calcineurin, a calcium-dependent protein phosphatase recently implicated in the signaling of skeletal muscle hypertrophy and fiber type conversion, is required to induce some mitochondrial enzyme adaptations to endurance exercise training in skeletal muscle. Three- to four-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats with an initial body weight ranging from 45 to 55 g were used in this study. The rats were randomly assigned to groups injected with either a specific calcineurin inhibitor, cyclosporin A (CsA), (group CI) or vehicle (group VI). CsA was subcutaneously injected into the rats at a rate of 50 mg·kg^–1 body weight per day for 10 days. The CI and VI groups were further assigned to sedentary (SED) or exercise training (EX) groups. In the EX group, the rats were trained for 10 days (90 min·day^–1, 14–20 m·min^–1, 10% grade). The citrate synthase (CS) activities in the soleus and plantaris muscles of the EX group rats were significantly higher than those of the SED group rats (p<0.001). Furthermore, 3--hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (3-HAD) activities in the soleus and plantaris muscles were significantly higher in the EX group rats than in the SED group rats (p<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in CS and 3-HAD activities between the VI and CI groups. The interactions between CsA injection and exercise training were not statistically significant in any of the parameters. These results may suggest that calcineurin is not involved in some mitochondrial enzyme adaptations to endurance exercise training.S. Terada and H. Nakagawa contributed equally to this work.     

Alteration of regulatory enzyme activities in fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles and muscle fibres in low-intensity endurance-trained rats

The effect of progressive, low-intensity endurance training on regulatory enzyme activities in slow-twitch (ST) and fast-twitch (FT) muscle fibres was studied in 32 rats. Of those rats 16 were trained on a treadmill at a running speed of 10m · min^–1 5 days a week over an 8-week period. Running time was progressively increased from 15 min to 2 h · day^–1. Of the rats 4 trained and 4 sedentary rats were also subjected to acute exhausting exercise. Enzyme activities of phosphofructokinase 1 (PFKI) from glycolysis, -ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (-KGDH) from the Krebs cycle and carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT I and II) from fatty acid metabolism in soleus, tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles were measured in trained and sedentary rats. Enzyme activities of individual ST and FT fibres were measured from the freeze-dried gastrocnemius muscle of 8 trained and 8 sedentary rats. In the sedentary rats the activity of PFK1 in tibialis anterior and soleus muscles was 141% and 41% of the activity in gastrocnemius muscle, respectively. The activity of -KGDH in tibialis anterior and soleus muscles was 164% and 278% of the activity in gastrocnemius muscle, respectively. The activity of CPT I in tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles were at the same level, but in soleus muscle the activity was 127% of that in mixed muscle. Endurance training increased enzyme activities of -KGDH and CPT I significantly (P < 0.05) in gastrocnemius muscle but not in soleus or tibialis anterior muscle. After training both -KGDH and CPT II activities were elevated significantly (P < 0.05) in the ST fibres of gastrocnemius muscle, whereas in FT fibres only -KGDH was increased. For PFK1 activity no significant change was observed in ST or FT fibres. After acute exercise, activities of mitochondrial enzymes -KGDH and CPT I tended to be elevated in all muscles. Thus, low-intensity endurance training induced significant peripheral changes in regulatory enzyme activities in oxidative and fatty acid metabolism in individual ST or FT muscle fibres.     

Resveratrol and/or exercise training counteract aging-associated decline of physical endurance in aged mice; targeting mitochondrial biogenesis and function

Mitochondrial dysfunction and decreased mitochondrial content are hallmarks of aging that leads to decreased physical endurance. Our aim was to explore the anti-aging effect of resveratrol (RSVT) supplementation, a polyphenol, and/or exercise training, started at an older age, on improving physical activity, therefore, help in frailty avoidance and promotion of healthy aging in elderly. Eighteen-month-old aged mice received RSVT (15 mg/kg/day) and/or exercise trained for 4 weeks showed significant longer time to exhaustion with decreased blood lactate and free fatty acids levels associated with improved oxidative stress evidenced by decreased gastrocnemius muscle lipid peroxidation and increased antioxidant enzymes activities, catalase and superoxide dismutase, when compared to aged mice control group. These changes were accompanied by over-expression of skeletal muscle peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) mRNA, the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, and increased muscle citrate synthase activity, a marker for mitochondrial function. These findings may provide evidence for improved physical endurance by RSVT supplementation or exercise training with better results of their combination, even at an older age, through increasing mitochondrial biogenesis and function. Increased muscle PGC-1α mRNA expression and citrate synthase enzyme activity in addition to improved aging-associated oxidative damage were among the mechanisms involved in this protection.     

Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance study on the effects of endurance training in rat skeletal muscle

Summary To evaluate changes in muscle energetics following endurance training, we measured phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P NMR) spectra on rat muscle in vivo before and after training in the same animals. The endurance training lasted for 3 months. The³¹P NMR spectra were obtained serially at rest, during exercise by electrical stimulation, and during recovery. Intramuscular phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate (P_i, adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) and pH were determined from the NMR spectra. The ratio of PCr : (PCr + P_i) at rest showed no difference between the trained and control groups even after 3 months of training. During exercise, however, this ratio was significantly higher in the trained group than in the control group. The ratio also recovered more rapidly after exercise in the trained group. The intramuscular pH decreased slightly by approximately 0.1 pH unit during exercise but did not show a significant difference between the groups. These results indicated that endurance training of 3 months duration improved the ATP supply system in the muscle. They also demonstrated that³¹P NMR is a potent method for evaluating the effects of training in the same individuals.     

High plasmatic angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity is not correlated with training-induced left ventricular growth in ACE congenic rats

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the influence of angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) genotype on left ventricular growth after endurance training, in ACE congenic rats with plasma ACE activity twice as high as the donor strain (LOU), thus mimicking the ACE I/D polymorphism observed in humans. Methods: LOU and congenic rats (n = 12) were submitted to an endurance training on a treadmill for 7 weeks, while similar LOU and congenic rats (n = 10) constituted the control groups. Blood pressure, skeletal muscle citrate synthase activity, plasma and left ventricular ACE activity were assessed, and echocardiography was performed before and after the training. Results: Angiotensin‐converting enzyme plasmatic activity of congenic rats (188.2 ± 26.6 in controls and 187.1 ± 22.6 IU in trained rats respectively) was twofold that of the LOU strain (91.9 ± 23.3 in controls, and 88.3 ± 18.1 IU in trained rats respectively). After training, congenic and LOU rats showed a similar significant increase in citrate synthase activity (P < 0.05), and in the left ventricular mass/body mass ratio × 10³: 3.7 ± 0.3 and 3.6 ± 0.6 in the trained congenic and LOU groups, respectively, vs. 3.0 ± 0.1 and 2.9 ± 0.2 in the control congenic and LOU groups respectively (P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between ACE plasma activity and left ventricular mass in trained or untrained congenic rats. Conclusion: We conclude that training‐induced left ventricular growth is not associated with plasma ACE activity in congenic rats.     

Modulation of fatty-acid-binding protein content of rat heart and skeletal muscle by endurance training and testosterone treatment

The effects of training and/or testosterone treatment and its aromatization to oestradiol on fatty-acid-binding protein (FABP) content and cytochrome c oxidase activity in heart, soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were studied in intact adult female rats. One group of rats remained sedentary, whereas the others were trained for 7 weeks. Thereafter the trained rats were divided into control and testosterone-treated groups, with or without an aromatase inhibitor. Testosterone was administered by a silastic implant. Training was continued for 2 weeks. In untreated sedentary rats the immunochemically assayed FABP contents were 497±28, 255±49 and 58±17 g/g wet weight for the heart, soleus, and EDL respectively. In the heart the FABP content was increased after training (29%), testosterone treatment (33%) or both manipulations (53%). In soleus muscle FABP increased only after testosterone treatment (16%), whereas in EDL no changes were found. Inhibiting the aromatase enzyme complex abolished the testosterone-induced effect on FABP content in soleus (suggesting an oestradiol effect) but not in heart muscle. Among the three muscles studied the FABP content was found to be related to the cytochrome c oxidase activity in a non-linear way. In conclusion, it is shown that the FABP contents and mitochondrial activities of heart and skeletal muscle are affected by training and sex hormones and that these effects are different for heart and skeletal muscles.Established Investigator of the Netherlands Heart Foundation     

Heat shock protein expression is increased in cardiac and skeletal muscles of Fischer 344 rats after endurance training

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are expressed when cells are exposed to various types of stress and they may provide protection against cellular insult. Previous data have shown increases in HSP expression following acute exhaustive exercise in rats (Locke et al. 1990, 1995; Salo et al. 1991) and humans (Liu et al. 1999); however, it is not known if chronic exercise will increase resting levels of HSPs. The purpose of this study was to determine if basal protein levels of HSP 72/73 and HSP 60 are increased in cardiac and skeletal muscle of endurance trained Fischer 344 rats. Heart, soleus (SOL) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles were removed and hearts were sectioned into left ventricle (LV), right ventricle (RV) and atria (AT). Endurance training improved myocardial citrate synthase activity by 88, 90 and 77% and cytochrome c oxidase activity by 58, 51 and 89% in LV, RV and AT, respectively. LV and RV oxidative enzyme activities were greater when compared to AT for both trained and untrained rats ( P < 0.05). HSP 72/73 expression was significantly greater ( P < 0.05) in LV, RV and SOL from endurance trained versus from control rats (26, 45 and 67%, respectively). HSP 60 was also increased ( P < 0.05) in LV, RV and SOL in trained relative to untrained rats. HSP 72/73 and HSP 60 were unchanged in AT and LG after training. These results indicate that endurance training increases the basal expression of stress proteins and this observation is consistent with the hypothesis that endurance training may activate a protective mechanism to stress.     

Tissue respiration changes in chronic exercise

Summary The influence of physical activity on tissue metabolism is still largely unknown, in spite of the fact that several studies have been reported in this area. The purpose of this study was to determine more precisely whether a daily endurance type of exercise has any influence on the resting aerobic metabolism of the key tissues involved in exercise.The oxygen consumption of tissue slices of heart, skeletal muscle and liver of trained and nontrained rats was determined using the Warburg technique. The tissue respiration was measured using a gas phase of 95% O₂, 5% CO₂ and with added substrates of either glucose or pyruvate. 22 rats were progressively trained for 5–8 weeks in a motorized running wheel apparatus, reaching a rate of 1 mile per hour for an hour each day at the end of the 4th week. They were then held at this running rate each day until sacrificed. 20 rats were used as controls; these remained in their cages with no exercise available.The results show that an endurance type of training, as used here, has little effect on the resting aerobic metabolism of heart or skeletal muscle tissue, regardless of the substrate employed. The oxygen consumption of liver slices, however, was significantlylower in the chronic exercised rats. The trained rats had values of 9.9 and 12.6 l per milligram dry weight per hour with glucose and pyruvate, respectively, whereas the nontrained liver slices had higher values of 12.3 and 13.9 with glucose and pyruvate substrates. Thus, training appears to shift the liver resting metabolism to a lower level. Also, training appears to cause an increase in density of trained tissues, as reflected in lower wet weight/dry weight ratios found in the trained tissues.Studies from the Department of Zoology, University of Nebraska Number 435. Supported in part by the University of Nebraska Research Council Summer Fellowship.     

Skeletal muscle and hormonal adaptation to physical training in the rat: role of the sympatho-adrenal system

The main purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that adrenergic stimulation of muscle fibres during exercise is a major stimulus for the training-induced enhancement of skeletal muscle respiratory capacity. Therefore, Sprague-Dawley rats either underwent bilateral surgical ablation of the adrenal medulla or were sham-operated. Furthermore, unilateral surgical extirpation of the lumbar sympathetic chain was performed. Half of the rats were then trained for 12 weeks by swimming (up to 5.5 h X day-1, 4 days X week-1) and the remaining rats were sedentary controls. In the gastrocnemius muscle, training significantly increased the mitochondrial enzymes citrate synthase, succinate dehydrogenase, cytochrome c oxidase, and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase. In sham-operated rats, the increases were 40%, 43%, 66%, and 25%, respectively, in legs with intact sympathetic innervation. The training-induced enzyme adaptation after adrenodemedullation and/or sympathectomy was not significantly lower than these control values. In sham-operated rats, training decreased resting plasma insulin and glucagon levels and increased liver glycogen content. Similar changes were induced by adrenodemedullation, but training did not augment these changes in adrenodemedullated rats. In conclusion, the data suggest that neither adrenomedullary hormones nor local sympathetic nerves are prerequisites for the training-induced increase in muscle mitochondrial enzymes. The training-induced decline in resting plasma insulin and glucagon levels in intact rats may be mediated by adrenomedullary hormones.     

Effects on physical performance of intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA) during selective β1-blockade

Summary In 15 healthy, not specifically trained volunteers (age: 26.6±2.7 years) single equipotent doses of a selective ₁-blocker with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA) (200 mg Epanolol-Visacor; V) and of a selective ₁-blocker without ISA (100 mg Metoprolol; M) were compared with placebo (P) with respect to their influence upon physical performance capacity and metabolism in a random, double blind, cross-over experimental setting. The subjects underwent three step by step incremental treadmill tests and three treadmill endurance tests until volitional exhaustion. Maximum running speed and maximum oxygen uptake were used as measures of maximum performance capacity. Running speed and oxygen uptake related to individual anaerobic threshold, and running time and running distance in the endurance tests were used as measures of endurance capacity. Both maximum and endurance performances were reduced significantly by -blockade. No relevant differences were discerned between V and M. The uniform reduction in exercise heart rate with both -blockers demonstrated the application of equipotent doses. At rest, heart rate was significantly higher under V than under M. Carbohydrate metabolism was unaffected, both blockers showing equal inhibition of lipolysis during exercise. We conclude that intrinsic sympathomimetic activity has no influence upon physical performance and metabolism during selective ₁-blockade.     

"Oxidative stress": effects of mild endurance training and testosterone treatment on rat gastrocnemius muscle

We evaluated the effects of testosterone overload on mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), cytochrome oxidase (COX) and citrate synthase (CS) activities of the rat superficial gastrocnemius both in non-exercised muscle and following moderate endurance training. Basal (bLPO) and stimulated (sLPO) lipid peroxidation was measured as an index of oxidative tissue damage. Furthermore, to assess the relationship between exercise and testosterone-induced metabolic adaptations and contractile protein expression, the distribution of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms was analysed by SDS-PAGE. Samples were obtained from: controls (C), rats treated with testosterone propionate (Tp) (TP, 5 mg kg^–1 i.m. 6 days/week), trained rats (E, 5 days/week) and rats trained and treated with Tp (ETP). MnSOD significantly increased in E and TP in comparison with C and ETP. Training induced a significant increase in COX activity both in E and ETP whereas a statistical reduction was observed in TP in comparison with the other groups. Moreover, testosterone administration was associated with a significant reduction in CS activity which significantly increased in ETP. A reduction in lipid peroxidation was observed in E and ETP in comparison with controls both in basal and stimulated conditions, whereas TP showed a significant increase of bLPO. In trained rats enzymatic changes were correlated with an increase in the proportion of fast oxidative MHC-2A and MHC-2X with decrease of the proportion of fast MHC-2B. In contrast, Tp treatment induced an increase in the proportion of MHC-2B whereas MHC-2A and MHC-2X disappeared. Finally, ETP showed a reduction in MHC-2B and an increase in MHC-1 and MHC-2X. These data suggest that testosterone supplementation seems not to significantly modify the metabolic adaptation induced by exercise in gastrocnemius muscle. Furthermore, testosterone overload to non-exercised rats seems to reduce the mitochondrial function and increase the lipid peroxidation of the muscle. Electronic Publication     

Physical training in obese women

Summary Peripheral adaptations to 3 months of physical endurance training without food restrictions were studied in skeletal muscles of 14, middle-aged, physically untrained, obese women.In comparison to aged-matched controls of normal weight, the obese group showed significantly lower isometric endurance. In the obese group, physical training resulted in a significant increase of maximal isometric and isokinetic strength. Isokinetic but not isometric endurance also increased after training. The isometric strength of obese women showed a positive correlation with the percentage of FTb fibres.The training (50 min/day, 3 days/w) did not result in any change in body weight, body fat, and the number and weight of fat cells. The 20% increase of after training was found to be significantly correlated with the increase in the number of capillaries around muscle fibres. The relative percentage of FTa fibres, the number of capillaries per fibre as well as the activities of citrate synthase, 3-hydroxy-acyl-CoA-dehydrogenase, and hexokinase showed a significant increase after training.The concentrations of glucose during OGTT showed a trend to decrease with a significant decrease at the end glucose curve (120-min value). The concentration of insulin and C peptide and the insulin removal did not change after training. The changes in the concentration of glucose during OGTT was significantly correlated with the increase in muscle capillarization and of dynamic endurance.     

The effect of exercise training on glycogen,glycogen synthase and phosphorylase in muscle and liver

Summary It is thought that exercise training in both man and the rat results in a protective effect against the depletion of carbohydrate stores during exercise (glycogen-sparing). However there has been no comprehensive study of the effects of training on glycogen anabolic and catabolic enzymes with liver or muscle. The aim of this study was to examine whether changes in these enzymes occur and whether these changes may provide an explanation for the glycogen-sparing which results from exercise training.Male rats were trained by a treadmill running program at three different workloads. In addition, there were three control groups: free eating (SF), food restricted (SR), and one SF with a single bout of exercise prior to sacrifice.Exercise training was associated with a 60–150% increase in glycogen synthase and phosphorylase and a 50–70% increase in glycogen content in soleus, an intermediate muscle, but not in extensor digitorum longus (EDL), a white muscle nor in liver. The increase in glycogen synthase and phosphorylase in intermediate muscle was proportional to the degree of training and there was a significant correlation between glycogen content, glycogen synthase, and phosphorylase activity in intermediate muscle. Cytochrome c oxidase activity, an indicator of respiratory capacity, increased 50% in gastrocnemius of trained rats and was significantly correlated with glycogen synthase and phosphorylase in soleus.These results indicate a significant effect of exercise training on glycogen anabolic and catabolic enzymes in intermediate muscle, with no significant effects in white muscle or liver. The changes do not provide an explanation for glycogen-sparing, but are consistent with improved capacity of intermediate muscle for rapid glycogen mobilisation and repletion.     

Effect of high-intensity intermittent swimming training on fatty acid oxidation enzyme activity in rat skeletal muscle

We previously reported that high-intensity exercise training significantly increased citrate synthase (CS) activity, a marker of oxidative enzyme, in rat skeletal muscle to a level equaling that attained after low-intensity prolonged exercise training (Terada et al., J Appl Physiol 90: 2019-2024, 2001). Since mitochondrial oxidative enzymes and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) enzymes are often increased simultaneously, we assessed the effect of high-intensity intermittent swimming training on FAO enzyme activity in rat skeletal muscle. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (3 to 4 weeks old) were assigned to a 10-day period of high-intensity intermittent exercise training (HIT), low-intensity prolonged exercise training (LIT), or sedentary control conditions. In the HIT group, the rats repeated fourteen 20 s swimming sessions with a weight equivalent to 14-16% of their body weight. Between the exercise sessions, a 10 s pause was allowed. Rats in the LIT group swam 6 h/day in two 3 h sessions separated by 45 min of rest. CS activity in the triceps muscle of rats in the HIT and LIT groups was significantly higher than that in the control rats by 36 and 39%, respectively. Furthermore, 3-beta hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) activity, an important enzyme in the FAO pathway in skeletal muscle, was higher in the two training groups than in the control rats (HIT: 100%, LIT: 88%). No significant difference in HAD activity was observed between the two training groups. In conclusion, the present investigation demonstrated that high-intensity intermittent swimming training elevated FAO enzyme activity in rat skeletal muscle to a level similar to that attained after 6 h of low-intensity prolonged swimming exercise training.     

The effects of vitamin E on serum enzyme levels following heavy exercise

Summary The effects of vitamin E (d--tocopherol) on serum enzyme levels after heavy exercise with trained and untrained muscles were studied in 26 subjects, aged 19–24, using a double blind experimental design. After a 6 week medication period (300 mg daily), the serum concentration of d--tocopherol had increased from 12.7–19.6 g/ml in the vitamin E group, while in the placebo group the value was unchanged. The subjects were then exposed to muscular work with either trained or untrained muscles. Serum concentrations of CK, ASAT and LD were measured prior to exercise and at different time intervals afterwards. In subjects exposed to exercise with trained muscles there was an insignificant elevation in serum enzymes and no indication of any difference between the two groups. Muscular work involving mainly untrained muscles caused a highly significant increase in serum CK activity. A significant elevation was also observed for ASAT and LD. No difference between the vitamin E and the placebo group was found. Isoenzyme studies showed that the rise in CK was due to an increase in the CK-MM fraction, indicating that striated muscle was the major site of enzyme release. It is concluded that vitamin E has no influence on the increase in serum enzyme levels following exercise.     

Dissociation of training effects on skeletal muscle mitochondrial enzymes and myoglobin in man

The effect of endurance training on skeletal muscle myoglobin concentration in man was investigated. 8 healthy sedentary males (20-31 yrs) trained on cycle ergometers 40 min/day, 4 days a week for 8 weeks. The work consisted of continuous exercise at a work load that during the last 5 weeks corresponded to 75% of the pretraining maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). The training program resulted in a 7% increase in VO2 max (p less than 0.01). The activities of the mitochondrial enzymes citrate synthase (CS), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and cytochrome c oxidase (Cyt-c-ox) in the quadriceps femoris muscle, as indicators of muscle respiratory capacity, increased by 62-82% (p less than 0.01). The metabolic adaptation of skeletal muscle was further indicated by a 17% increase in the work load corresponding to a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol/l, as determined by a progressive exercise test (p less than 0.05). There was, however, no change in the myoglobin concentration of the thigh muscle with training (-1%, NS). It is suggested that endurance exercise in man at 75% of the maximal oxygen uptake does not severely tax the functions of myoglobin in skeletal muscle.     

Β-Glucuronidase activity in trained red and white skeletal muscle of mice

Summary We studied the effects of prolonged running exercise (5 days a week, 1.5 h per day at a speed of 17.6 m/min) on the activity of some acid hydrolases (-glucuronidase, -N-acetylglucosaminidase, acid phosphatase and cathepsin D) and three enzymes of energy metabolism (cytochrome c oxidase, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase) in the distal and in the proximal, the predominantly white and red parts, respectively, of the vastus lateralis-muscle from mice. The acid hydrolase activity levels were 1.24–1.69 higher in untrained red muscle compared to untrained white muscle. The light training applied increased the activity of -glucuronidase in both red and white muscle. No other significant training effects were observed in the enzyme activities measured.     

Inactivation of brown adipose tissue thermogenesis by oestradiol treatment in cold-acclimated rats

Both cold-acclimated female rats and rats at thermoneutrality received 0.15–0.20 mg daily of 17-oestradiol over 15 days via a Silastic capsule implanted subcutaneously. Controls received empty implants. Comparison between the oestradiol-treated animals and the untreated controls revealed that at thermoneutrality, oestradiol treatment decreased food intage and body weight gain, but did not affect brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis and composition. By contrast, in cold-acclimated rats, oestradiol treatment did not modify food intake or body weight gain, but it decreased BAT thermogenesis. It is concluded that the effects of oestradiol treatment on BAT depend on the activity of the tissue, i.e. it has no effect on BAT when the tissue is thermogenically inactive, but it decreases cold-induced BAT thermogenesis. It is suggested that oestradiol could be the hormonal factor responsible for the previously observed inactivation of BAT thermogenesis during pregnancy in cold-acclimated rats.     

Changes in maximal aerobic power,aerobic capacity,and muscle enzyme activities at two stages of the annual training cycle in ski-runners

Summary Changes of cardiorespiratory capacity, of the activity of seven enzymes involved in energy metabolism and of laboratory endurance were investigated in a group of nine male ski-runners before and after exhausting training and a competing period during the winter.Despite the decrease in laboratory endurance and total work oxygen consumption between the investigations, O₂ max, O₂-pulse max and O₂ debt did not change; and O₂-pulse per kg b.w. showed a significant increase.In biopsy samples of the vastus lateralis muscle, the activity of enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, both anaerobic and total (triose phosphate dehydrogenase — TPDH, lactate dehydrogenase — LDH, hexokinase — HK), and of total aerobic metabolism (citrate synthetase — CS, malate dehydrogenase — MDH), was decreased during this period by 27 to 59% (mean values for different enzymes). The mean activity of cytoplasmic glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) and of hydroxyacyl — CoA dehydrogenase (HOADH) did not change, although the activity of the latter enzyme was decreased in the muscle of those ski-runners who were trained predominantly for speed, and it was increased in those trained mainly for endurance.The changes in activity of the muscle enzymes associated with glycolysis (TPDH and LDH) and of MDH, connected with metabolism and hydrogen transport between cytoplasmic and aerobic mitochondrial compartments, correlate inversely with those of aerobic capacity (total work O₂ consumption).     

Endurance training attenuates exercise-induced oxidative stress in erythrocytes in rat

The aim of this study was to investigate whether endurance training reduces exercise-induced oxidative stress in erythrocytes. Male rats (n=54) were divided into trained (n=28) and untrained (n=26) groups. Both groups were further divided equally into two groups where the rats were studied at rest and immediately after exhaustive exercise. Endurance training consisted of treadmill running 1.5 h·day^–1, 5 days a week for 8 weeks, reaching the speed of 2.1 km·h^–1 at the fourth week. For acute exhaustive exercise, graded treadmill running was conducted reaching the speed of 2.1 km·h^–1 at the 95th min, 10% uphill, and was continued until exhaustion. Acute exhaustive exercise increased the erythrocyte malondialdehyde level in sedentary but not in trained rats compared with the corresponding sedentary rest and trained rest groups, respectively. While acute exhaustive exercise decreased the erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity in sedentary rats, it increased the activity of this enzyme in trained rats. On the other hand, acute exhaustive exercise increased the erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity in sedentary rats; however, it did not affect this enzyme activity in trained rats. Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity was higher in trained groups compared with untrained sedentary group. Neither acute exhaustive exercise nor treadmill training affected the erythrocyte total glutathione level. Treadmill training increased the endurance time in trained rats compared with sedentary rats. The results of this study suggest that endurance training may be useful to prevent acute exhaustive exercise-induced oxidative stress in erythrocytes by up-regulating some of the antioxidant enzyme activities and may have implications in exercising humans.