Discordant skeletal muscle gene and protein responses to exercise.

The ability of skeletal muscle to adapt to repeated contractile stimuli is one of the most intriguing aspects of physiology. The molecular bases underpinning these adaptations involve increased protein activity and/or expression, mediated by an array of pre- and post-transcriptional processes, as well as translational and post-translational control. A longstanding dogma assumes a direct relationship between exercise-induced increases in mRNA levels and subsequent changes in the abundance of the proteins they encode. Drawing on the results of recent studies, we dissect and question the common assumption of a direct relationship between changes in the skeletal muscle transcriptome and proteome induced by repeated muscle contractions (e.g., exercise).

Resistance-only and concurrent exercise induce similar myofibrillar protein synthesis rates and associated molecular responses in moderately active men before and after training.

Aerobic and resistance exercise (RE) induce distinct molecular responses. One hypothesis is that these responses are antagonistic and unfavorable for the anabolic response to RE when concurrent exercise is performed. This thesis may also depend on the participants' training status and concurrent exercise order. We measured free-living myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) rates and associated molecular responses to resistance-only and concurrent exercise (with different exercise orders), before and after training. Moderately active men completed one of three exercise interventions (matched for age, baseline strength, body composition, and aerobic capacity): resistance-only exercise (RE, n = 8), RE plus high-intensity interval exercise (RE+HIIE, n = 8), or HIIE+RE (n = 9). Participants trained 3 days/week for 10 weeks; concurrent sessions were separated by 3 h. On the first day of Weeks 1 and 10, muscle was sampled immediately before and after, and 3 h after each exercise mode and analyzed for molecular markers of MyoPS and muscle glycogen. Additional muscle, sampled pre- and post-training, was used to determine MyoPS using orally administered deuterium oxide (D2 O). In both weeks, MyoPS rates were comparable between groups. Post-exercise changes in proteins reflective of protein synthesis were also similar between groups, though MuRF1 and MAFbx mRNA exhibited some exercise order-dependent responses. In Week 10, exercise-induced changes in MyoPS and some genes (PGC-1ɑ and MuRF1) were dampened from Week 1. Concurrent exercise (in either order) did not compromise the anabolic response to resistance-only exercise, before or after training. MyoPS rates and some molecular responses to exercise are diminished after training.

The interactive effect of sustained sleep restriction and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle transcriptomics in young females.

INTRODUCTION: Both sleep loss and exercise regulate gene expression in skeletal muscle, yet little is known about how the interaction of these stressors affects the muscle transcriptome. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nine nights of sleep restriction, with repeated resistance exercise (REx) sessions, on the skeletal muscle transcriptome of young, trained females. METHODS: Ten healthy females aged 18-35 years undertook a randomised cross-over study of nine nights' sleep restriction (SR; 5-h time in bed) and normal sleep (NS; ≥7 h time in bed) with a minimum 6-week washout. Participants completed four REx sessions per condition (day 3, 5, 7 and 9). Muscle biopsies were collected both pre- and post-REx on days 3 and 9. Gene and protein expression were assessed by RNA sequencing and Western Blot, respectively. RESULTS: Three or nine nights of sleep restriction had no effect on the muscle transcriptome independently of exercise. However, close to 3000 transcripts were differentially regulated (FDR < 0.05) 48 h post the completion of three resistance exercise sessions in both NS and SR conditions. Only 39% of downregulated and 18% of upregulated genes were common between both conditions, indicating a moderating effect of sleep restriction on the response to exercise. CONCLUSION: Sleep restriction and resistance exercise interacted to alter the enrichment of skeletal muscle transcriptomic pathways in young, resistance-trained females. Performing exercise when sleep restricted may not provide the same adaptive response for individuals as if they were fully rested.

The effect of sleep restriction, with or without high-intensity interval exercise, on behavioural alertness and mood state in young healthy males.

Mood state and alertness are negatively affected by sleep loss, and can be positively influenced by exercise. However, the potential mitigating effects of exercise on sleep-loss-induced changes in mood state and alertness have not been studied comprehensively. Twenty-four healthy young males were matched into one of three, 5-night sleep interventions: normal sleep (NS; total sleep time (TST) per night = 449 ± 22 min), sleep restriction (SR; TST = 230 ± 5 min), or sleep restriction and exercise (SR + EX; TST = 235 ± 5 min, plus three sessions of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE)). Mood state was assessed using the profile of mood states (POMS) and a daily well-being questionnaire. Alertness was assessed using psychomotor vigilance testing (PVT). Following the intervention, POMS total mood disturbance scores significantly increased for both the SR and SR + EX groups, and were greater than the NS group (SR vs NS; 31.0 ± 10.7 A.U., [4.4-57.7 A.U.], p = 0.020; SR + EX vs NS; 38.6 ± 14.9 A.U., [11.1-66.1 A.U.], p = 0.004). The PVT reaction times increased in the SR (p = 0.049) and SR + EX groups (p = 0.033) and the daily well-being questionnaire revealed increased levels of fatigue in both groups (SR; p = 0.041, SR + EX; p = 0.026) during the intervention. Despite previously demonstrated physiological benefits of performing three sessions of HIIE during five nights of sleep restriction, the detriments to mood, wellness, and alertness were not mitigated by exercise in this study. Whether alternatively timed exercise sessions or other exercise protocols could promote more positive outcomes on these factors during sleep restriction requires further research.

The importance of mitochondrial quality control for maintaining skeletal muscle function across health span.

As the principal energy-producing organelles of the cell, mitochondria support numerous biological processes related to metabolism, growth, and regeneration in skeletal muscle. Deterioration in skeletal muscle functional capacity with age is thought to be driven in part by a reduction in skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and reduced fatigue resistance. Underlying this maladaptive response is the development of mitochondrial dysfunction caused by alterations in mitochondrial quality control (MQC), a term encompassing processes of mitochondrial synthesis (biogenesis), remodeling (dynamics), and degradation (mitophagy). Knowledge regarding the role and regulation of MQC in skeletal muscle and the influence of aging in this process has rapidly advanced in the past decade. Given the emerging link between aging and MQC, therapeutic approaches to manipulate MQC to prevent mitochondrial dysfunction during aging hold tremendous therapeutic potential.

Ammonium chloride administration prevents training-induced improvements in mitochondrial respiratory function in the soleus muscle of male rats.

Exercise training can increase both mitochondrial content and mitochondrial respiration. Despite its popularity, high-intensity exercise can be accompanied by mild acidosis (also present in certain pathological states), which may limit exercise-induced adaptations to skeletal muscle mitochondria. The aim of this study was to determine if administration of ammonium chloride (0.05 g/kg) to Wistar rats before each individual exercise session (5 high-intensity exercise sessions per week for eight weeks) reduced training-induced increases in mitochondrial content (measured by citrate synthase activity and protein content of electron transport system complexes) and respiration (measured in permeabilised muscle fibres). In the soleus muscle, the exercise-training-induced increase in mitochondrial respiration was reduced in rats administered ammonium chloride compared to control animals, but mitochondrial content was not altered. These effects were not present in the white gastrocnemius muscle. In conclusion, ammonium chloride administration before each exercise session over eight weeks reduced improvements in mitochondrial respiration in the soleus muscle but did not alter mitochondrial content. This suggests that mild acidosis may impact training-induced improvements in the respiration of mitochondria in some muscles.

Preventing the adverse cardiovascular consequences of allogeneic stem cell transplantation with a multi-faceted exercise intervention: the ALLO-Active trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is a potentially lifesaving treatment for high-risk hematological malignancy, but survivors experience markedly elevated rates of cardiovascular disease and associated functional impairment. Mounting evidence suggests regular exercise, combined with a reduction in sedentary time through replacement with light exercise may be a useful therapeutic strategy for the prevention of cardiovascular comorbidities. However, this type of intervention has yet to be evaluated in patients undergoing allo-SCT. The ALLO-Active study will evaluate the efficacy of a ~ 4 month multi-faceted exercise intervention, commenced upon admission for allo-SCT, to preserve peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and peak cardiac output, compared with usual care. The study will also evaluate the effect of the intervention on functional independence, quality of life, and symptoms of fatigue. METHODS: Sixty adults with hematological malignancy scheduled for allo-SCT will be randomly assigned to usual care (n = 30) or the exercise and sedentary behaviour intervention (n = 30). Participants assigned to the intervention will complete a thrice weekly aerobic and progressive resistance training program and concomitantly aim to reduce daily sedentary time by 30 min with short, frequent, light-intensity exercise bouts. Participants will undergo testing prior to, immediately after inpatient discharge, and 12 weeks after discharge. To address aim 1, VO2peak and peak cardiac output (multiple primary outcomes, p < 0.025) will be assessed via cardiopulmonary exercise testing and exercise cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, respectively. Secondary outcomes include functional independence (defined as VO2peak ≥ 18.mL.kg-1.min-1), quality of life, and fatigue (assessed via validated questionnaire). Exploratory outcomes will include indices of resting cardiac, vascular, and skeletal muscle structure and function, cardiovascular biomarkers, anxiety and depression, transplant outcomes (e.g., engraftment, graft-versus-host disease), and habitual physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep. DISCUSSION: Multi-faceted exercise programs are a promising approach for ameliorating the cardiovascular consequences of allo-SCT. If this intervention proves to be effective, it will contribute to the development of evidence-based exercise guidelines for patients undergoing allo-SCT and assist with optimising the balance between acute cancer management and long-term health. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), ID: 12619000741189 . Registered 17 May 2019.

The influence of aerobic exercise on mitochondrial quality control in skeletal muscle.

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles, intricately designed to meet cellular energy requirements. To accommodate alterations in energy demand, mitochondria have a high degree of plasticity, changing in response to transient activation of numerous stress-related pathways. This adaptive response is particularly relevant in highly metabolic tissues such as skeletal muscle, where mitochondria support numerous biological processes related to metabolism, growth and regeneration. Aerobic exercise is a potent stimulus for skeletal muscle remodelling, leading to alterations in substrate utilisation, fibre-type composition and performance. Underlying these physiological responses is a change in mitochondrial quality control (MQC), a term encompassing the co-ordination of mitochondrial synthesis (biogenesis), remodelling (dynamics) and degradation (mitophagy) pathways. Understanding of MQC in skeletal muscle and the regulatory role of aerobic exercise of this process are rapidly advancing, as are the molecular techniques allowing the study of MQC in vivo. Given the emerging link between MQC and the onset of numerous non-communicable diseases, understanding the molecular regulation of MQC, and the role of aerobic exercise in this process, will have substantial future impact on therapeutic approaches to manipulate MQC and maintain mitochondrial function across health span.

The effect of sleep restriction, with or without high-intensity interval exercise, on myofibrillar protein synthesis in healthy young men.

KEY POINTS: Sleep restriction has previously been associated with the loss of muscle mass in both human and animal models. The rate of myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) is a key variable in regulating skeletal muscle mass and can be increased by performing high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE), although the effect of sleep restriction on MyoPS is unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that participants undergoing a sleep restriction protocol (five nights, with 4 h in bed each night) had lower rates of skeletal muscle MyoPS; however, rates of MyoPS were maintained at control levels by performing HIIE during this period. Our data suggest that the lower rates of MyoPS in the sleep restriction group may contribute to the detrimental effects of sleep loss on muscle mass and that HIIE may be used as an intervention to counteract these effects. ABSTRACT: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of sleep restriction, with or without high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE), on the potential mechanisms underpinning previously-reported sleep-loss-induced reductions to muscle mass. Twenty-four healthy, young men underwent a protocol consisting of two nights of controlled baseline sleep and a five-night intervention period. Participants were allocated into one of three parallel groups, matched for age, V̇O2peak , body mass index and habitual sleep duration; a normal sleep (NS) group [8 h time in bed (TIB) each night], a sleep restriction (SR) group (4 h TIB each night), and a sleep restriction and exercise group (SR+EX, 4 h TIB each night, with three sessions of HIIE). Deuterium oxide was ingested prior to commencing the study and muscle biopsies obtained pre- and post-intervention were used to assess myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) and molecular markers of protein synthesis and degradation signalling pathways. MyoPS was lower in the SR group [fractional synthetic rate (% day-1 ), mean ± SD, 1.24 ± 0.21] compared to both the NS (1.53 ± 0.09) and SR+EX groups (1.61 ± 0.14) (P < 0.05). However, there were no changes in the purported regulators of protein synthesis (i.e. p-AKTser473 and p-mTORser2448 ) and degradation (i.e. Foxo1/3 mRNA and LC3 protein) in any group. These data suggest that MyoPS is acutely reduced by sleep restriction, although MyoPS can be maintained by performing HIIE. These findings may explain the sleep-loss-induced reductions in muscle mass previously reported and also highlight the potential therapeutic benefit of HIIE to maintain myofibrillar remodelling in this context.

High-Intensity Exercise and Mitochondrial Biogenesis: Current Controversies and Future Research Directions.

It is well established that different types of exercise can provide a powerful stimulus for mitochondrial biogenesis. However, there are conflicting findings in the literature, and a consensus has not been reached regarding the efficacy of high-intensity exercise to promote mitochondrial biogenesis in humans. The purpose of this review is to examine current controversies in the field and to highlight some important methodological issues that need to be addressed to resolve existing conflicts.

Delineating the contribution of ageing and physical activity to changes in mitochondrial characteristics across the lifespan.

Ageing is associated with widespread physiological changes prominent within all tissues, including skeletal muscle and the brain, which lead to a decline in physical function. To tackle the growing health and economic burdens associated with an ageing population, the concept of healthy ageing has become a major research priority. Changes in skeletal muscle mitochondrial characteristics have been suggested to make an important contribution to the reductions in skeletal muscle function with age, and age-related changes in mitochondrial content, respiratory function, morphology, and mitochondrial DNA have previously been reported. However, not all studies report changes in mitochondrial characteristics with ageing, and there is increasing evidence to suggest that physical activity (or inactivity) throughout life is a confounding factor when interpreting age-associated changes. Given that physical activity is a potent stimulus for inducing beneficial adaptations to mitochondrial characteristics, delineating the influence of physical activity on the changes in skeletal muscle that occur with age is complicated. This review aims to summarise our current understanding and knowledge gaps regarding age-related changes to mitochondrial characteristics within skeletal muscle, as well as to provide some novel insights into brain mitochondria, and to propose avenues of future research and targeted interventions. Furthermore, where possible, we incorporate discussions of the modifying effects of physical activity, exercise, and training status, to purported age-related changes in mitochondrial characteristics.

Interpretation of exercise-induced changes in human skeletal muscle mRNA expression depends on the timing of the post-exercise biopsies.

BACKGROUND: Exercise elicits a range of adaptive responses in skeletal muscle, which include changes in mRNA expression. To better understand the health benefits of exercise training, it is important to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise. However, most studies have assessed the molecular events at only a few time-points within a short time frame post-exercise, and the variations of gene expression kinetics have not been addressed systematically. METHODS: We assessed the mRNA expression of 23 gene isoforms implicated in the adaptive response to exercise at six time-points (0, 3, 9, 24, 48, and 72 h post exercise) over a 3-day period following a single session of high-intensity interval exercise. RESULTS: The temporal patterns of target gene expression were highly variable and the expression of mRNA transcripts detected was largely dependent on the timing of muscle sampling. The largest fold change in mRNA expression of each tested target gene was observed between 3 and 72 h post-exercise. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight an important gap in knowledge regarding the molecular response to exercise, where the use of limited time-points within a short period post-exercise has led to an incomplete understanding of the molecular response to exercise. Muscle sampling timing for individual studies needs to be carefully chosen based on existing literature and preliminary analysis of the molecular targets of interest. We propose that a comprehensive time-course analysis on the exercise-induced transcriptional response in humans will significantly benefit the field of exercise molecular biology.

Assessing mitochondrial respiration in permeabilized fibres and biomarkers for mitochondrial content in human skeletal muscle.

AIM: Assessments of mitochondrial respiration and mitochondrial content are common in skeletal muscle research and exercise science. However, many sources of technical and biological variation render these analyses susceptible to error. This study aimed to better quantify the reliability of different experimental designs and/or techniques so as to assist researchers to obtain more reliable data. METHODS: We examined the repeatability of maximal mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in permeabilized muscle fibres via high-resolution respirometry, and citrate synthase activity (a biomarker for mitochondrial content) in a microplate with spectrophotometery. RESULTS: For mitochondrial respiration using permeabilized skeletal muscle fibres, the variability was reduced using three chambers and removing outliers compared to two chambers (CV reduced from 12.7% to 11.0%), and the minimal change that can be detected with 10 participants reduced from 17% to 13% according to modelling. For citrate synthase activity, the within-plate CV (3.5%) increased when the assay was repeated after 4 hours (CV = 10.2%) and 4 weeks (CV = 30.5%). The readings were correlated, but significantly different after 4 hours and 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: This research provides evidence for important technical considerations when measuring mitochondrial respiration and content using citrate synthase activity as a biomarker. When assessing mitochondrial respiration in human skeletal muscle, the technical variability of high-resolution respirometry can be reduced by increasing technical repeats and excluding outliers, practices which are not currently common. When analysing citrate synthase activity, our results highlight the importance of analysing all samples from the same study at the same time.

The Effect of Sleep Restriction, With or Without Exercise, on Skeletal Muscle Transcriptomic Profiles in Healthy Young Males.

Background: Inadequate sleep is associated with many detrimental health effects, including increased risk of developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. These effects have been associated with changes to the skeletal muscle transcriptome, although this has not been characterised in response to a period of sleep restriction. Exercise induces a beneficial transcriptional response within skeletal muscle that may counteract some of the negative effects associated with sleep restriction. We hypothesised that sleep restriction would down-regulate transcriptional pathways associated with glucose metabolism, but that performing exercise would mitigate these effects. Methods: 20 healthy young males were allocated to one of three experimental groups: a Normal Sleep (NS) group (8 h time in bed per night (TIB), for five nights (11 pm - 7 am)), a Sleep Restriction (SR) group (4 h TIB, for five nights (3 am - 7 am)), and a Sleep Restriction and Exercise group (SR+EX) (4 h TIB, for five nights (3 am - 7 am) and three high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) sessions (performed at 10 am)). RNA sequencing was performed on muscle samples collected pre- and post-intervention. Our data was then compared to skeletal muscle transcriptomic data previously reported following sleep deprivation (24 h without sleep). Results: Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated there was an increased enrichment of inflammatory and immune response related pathways in the SR group post-intervention. However, in the SR+EX group the direction of enrichment in these same pathways occurred in the opposite directions. Despite this, there were no significant changes at the individual gene level from pre- to post-intervention. A set of genes previously shown to be decreased with sleep deprivation was also decreased in the SR group, but increased in the SR+EX group. Conclusion: The alterations to inflammatory and immune related pathways in skeletal muscle, following five nights of sleep restriction, provide insight regarding the transcriptional changes that underpin the detrimental effects associated with sleep loss. Performing three sessions of HIIE during sleep restriction attenuated some of these transcriptional changes. Overall, the transcriptional alterations observed with a moderate period of sleep restriction were less evident than previously reported changes following a period of sleep deprivation.

Ammonium chloride administration prior to exercise has muscle-specific effects on mitochondrial and myofibrillar protein synthesis in rats.

AIM: Exercise is able to increase both muscle protein synthesis and mitochondrial biogenesis. However, acidosis, which can occur in pathological states as well as during high-intensity exercise, can decrease mitochondrial function, whilst its impact on muscle protein synthesis is disputed. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of a mild physiological decrease in pH, by administration of ammonium chloride, on myofibrillar and mitochondrial protein synthesis, as well as associated molecular signaling events. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were given either a placebo or ammonium chloride prior to a short interval training session. Rats were killed before exercise, immediately after exercise, or 3 h after exercise. RESULTS: Myofibrillar (p = 0.036) fractional protein synthesis rates was increased immediately after exercise in the soleus muscle of the placebo group, but this effect was absent in the ammonium chloride group. However, in the gastrocnemius muscle NH4 Cl increased myofibrillar (p = 0.044) and mitochondrial protein synthesis (0 h after exercise p = 0.01; 3 h after exercise p = 0.003). This was accompanied by some small differences in protein phosphorylation and mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: This study found ammonium chloride administration immediately prior to a single session of exercise in rats had differing effects on mitochondrial and myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in soleus (type I) and gastrocnemius (type II) muscle in rats.

Exercise does not improve insulin resistance and mitochondrial characteristics together.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mitochondrial content and respiratory function and whole-body insulin resistance in high-fat diet (HFD) fed rats. Male Wistar rats were given either a chow diet or an HFD for 12 weeks. After 4 weeks of the dietary intervention, half of the rats in each group began 8 weeks of interval training. In vivo glucose and insulin tolerance were assessed. Mitochondrial respiratory function was assessed in permeabilised soleus and white gastrocnemius (WG) muscles. Mitochondrial content was determined by the measurement of citrate synthase (CS) activity and protein expression of components of the electron transport system (ETS). We found HFD rats had impaired glucose and insulin tolerance but increased mitochondrial respiratory function and increased protein expression of components of the ETS. This was accompanied by an increase in CS activity in WG. Exercise training improved glucose and insulin tolerance in the HFD rats. Mitochondrial respiratory function was increased with exercise training in the chow-fed animals in soleus muscle. This exercise effect was absent in the HFD animals. In conclusion, exercise training improved insulin resistance in HFD rats but without changes in mitochondrial respiratory function and content. The lack of an association between mitochondrial characteristics and whole-body insulin resistance was reinforced by the absence of strong correlations between these measures. Our results suggest that improvements in mitochondrial respiratory function and content are not responsible for improvements in whole-body insulin resistance in HFD rats.

Exercise mitigates sleep-loss-induced changes in glucose tolerance, mitochondrial function, sarcoplasmic protein synthesis, and diurnal rhythms.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep loss has emerged as a risk factor for the development of impaired glucose tolerance. The mechanisms underpinning this observation are unknown; however, both mitochondrial dysfunction and circadian misalignment have been proposed. Because exercise improves glucose tolerance and mitochondrial function, and alters circadian rhythms, we investigated whether exercise may counteract the effects induced by inadequate sleep. METHODS: To minimize between-group differences of baseline characteristics, 24 healthy young males were allocated into one of the three experimental groups: a Normal Sleep (NS) group (8 h time in bed (TIB) per night, for five nights), a Sleep Restriction (SR) group (4 h TIB per night, for five nights), and a Sleep Restriction and Exercise group (SR+EX) (4 h TIB per night, for five nights and three high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) sessions). Glucose tolerance, mitochondrial respiratory function, sarcoplasmic protein synthesis (SarcPS), and diurnal measures of peripheral skin temperature were assessed pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: We report that the SR group had reduced glucose tolerance post-intervention (mean change ± SD, P value, SR glucose AUC: 149 ± 115 A.U., P = 0.002), which was also associated with reductions in mitochondrial respiratory function (SR: -15.9 ± 12.4 pmol O2.s-1.mg-1, P = 0.001), a lower rate of SarcPS (FSR%/day SR: 1.11 ± 0.25%, P < 0.001), and reduced amplitude of diurnal rhythms. These effects were not observed when incorporating three sessions of HIIE during this period (SR+EX: glucose AUC 67 ± 57, P = 0.239, mitochondrial respiratory function: 0.6 ± 11.8 pmol O2.s-1.mg-1, P = 0.997, and SarcPS (FSR%/day): 1.77 ± 0.22%, P = 0.971). CONCLUSIONS: A five-night period of sleep restriction leads to reductions in mitochondrial respiratory function, SarcPS, and amplitude of skin temperature diurnal rhythms, with a concurrent reduction in glucose tolerance. We provide novel data demonstrating that these same detrimental effects are not observed when HIIE is performed during the period of sleep restriction. These data therefore provide evidence in support of the use of HIIE as an intervention to mitigate the detrimental physiological effects of sleep loss.

Effect of inorganic nitrate on exercise capacity, mitochondria respiration, and vascular function in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Chronic underperfusion of the skeletal muscle tissues is a contributor to a decrease in exercise capacity in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). This underperfusion is due, at least in part, to impaired nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Oral inorganic nitrate supplementation increases NO bioavailability and may be used to improve exercise capacity, vascular function, and mitochondrial respiration. Sixteen patients with HFrEF (fifteen men, 63 ± 4 yr, body mass index: 31.8 ± 2.1 kg/m2) participated in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design study. Following consumption of either nitrate-rich beetroot juice (16 mmol nitrate/day) or a nitrate-depleted placebo for 5 days, participants completed separate visits for assessment of exercise capacity, endothelial function, and muscle mitochondrial respiration. Participants then had a 2-wk washout before completion of the same protocol with the other intervention. Statistical significance was set a priori at P < 0.05, and between-treatment differences were analyzed via paired t test analysis. Following nitrate supplementation, both plasma nitrate and nitrite increased (933%, P < 0.001 and 94%, P < 0.05, respectively). No differences were observed for peak oxygen consumption (nitrate: 18.5 ± 1.4 mL·kg-1·min-1, placebo: 19.3 ± 1.4 mL·kg-1·min-1; P = 0.13) or time to exhaustion (nitrate: 1,165 ± 92 s, placebo: 1,207 ± 96 s; P = 0.16) following supplementation. There were no differences between interventions for measures of vascular function, mitochondrial respiratory function, or protein expression (all P > 0.05). Inorganic nitrate supplementation did not improve exercise capacity and skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiratory function in HFrEF. Future studies should explore alternative interventions to improve peripheral muscle tissue function in HFrEF.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the largest study to date to examine the effects of inorganic nitrate supplementation in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and the first to include measures of vascular function and mitochondrial respiration. Although daily supplementation increased plasma nitrite, our data indicate that supplementation with inorganic nitrate as a standalone treatment is ineffective at improving exercise capacity, vascular function, or mitochondrial respiration in patients with HFrEF.

The effects of time of day-specific resistance training on adaptations in skeletal muscle hypertrophy and muscle strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The present paper endeavored to elucidate the topic on the effects of morning versus evening resistance training on muscle strength and hypertrophy by conducting a systematic review and a meta-analysis of studies that examined time of day-specific resistance training. This systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines with searches conducted through PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases. The Downs and Black checklist was used for the assessment of the methodological quality of the included studies. Studies that examined the effects of time of day-specific resistance training (while equating all other training variables, such as training frequency and volume, between the groups) on muscle strength and/or muscle size were included in the present review. The random effects model was used for the meta-analysis. Meta-analyses explored (1) the differences in strength expression between morning and evening hours at baseline; (2) the differences in strength within the groups training in the morning and evening by using their post-intervention strength data from the morning and evening strength assessments; (3) the overall differences between the effects of morning and evening resistance training (with subgroup analyses conducted for studies that assessed strength in the morning hours and for the studies that assessed strength in the evening hours). Finally, a meta-analysis was also conducted for studies that assessed muscle hypertrophy. Eleven studies of moderate and good methodological quality were included in the present review. The primary findings of the review are as follows: (1) at baseline, a significant difference in strength between morning and evening is evident, with greater strength observed in the evening hours; (2) resistance training in the morning hours may increase strength assessed in the morning to similar levels as strength assessed in the evening; (3) training in the evening hours, however, maintains the general difference in strength across the day, with greater strength observed in the evening hours; (4) when comparing the effects between the groups training in the morning versus in the evening hours, increases in strength are similar in both groups, regardless of the time of day at which strength assessment is conducted; and (5) increases in muscle size are similar irrespective of the time of day at which the training is performed.