Self-selected Rest Interval Improves Vertical Jump Postactivation Potentiation.

ABSTRACT: do Carmo, EC, De Souza, EO, Roschel, H, Kobal, R, Ramos, H, Gil, S, and Tricoli, V. Self-selected rest interval improves vertical jump postactivation potentiation. J Strength Cond Res 35(1): 91-96, 2021-This study compared the effects of self-selected rest interval (SSRI) and fixed rest interval (FRI) strategies on postactivation potentiation (PAP) in countermovement jump (CMJ) performance. Twelve strength-trained men (age: 25.4 ± 3.6 years; body mass: 78.8 ± 10.5 kg; height: 175 ± 7.0 cm; half-squat 1 repetition maximum: 188.7 ± 33.4 kg) performed 3 experimental conditions: (a) FRI: CMJ test; 4-minute rest interval; 5 repetition maximum (5RM) back squat; 4-minute rest interval; and CMJ test, (b) SSRI: CMJ test; 4-minute rest interval; 5RM back squat; SSRI; and CMJ test, and (c) control: CMJ test; 8-minute rest interval and CMJ test. In SSRI, subjects were instructed to rest until they felt fully recovered and able to exercise at maximal intensity based on the perceived readiness scale. Significant changes in pre-post CMJ performance were observed in the SSRI condition (38.2 ± 4.6 cm vs. 40.5 ± 4.4 cm; p = 0.08; confidence interval [CI]: 0.72-3.82 cm; effect size [ES] = 0.93). There were significant differences in post-CMJ performance when SSRI was compared with FRI (40.5 ± 4.4 cm vs. 37.7 ± 5.1 cm; p = 0.02; CI: 0.43-5.08; ES = 1.13) and control (40.5 ± 4.4 cm vs. 37.4 ± 5.7 cm; p = 0.01; CI: 0.66-5.61; ES = 1.35). The average rest interval length for the SSRI condition was 5:57 ± 2:44 min:sec (CI: 4:24-7:30). Our results suggest that the use of SSRI was an efficient and practical strategy to elicit PAP on CMJ height in strength-trained individuals.

The Effects of Fortetropin Supplementation on Body Composition, Strength, and Power in Humans and Mechanism of Action in a Rodent Model.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Fortetropin on skeletal muscle growth and strength in resistance-trained individuals and to investigate the anabolic and catabolic signaling effects using human and rodent models. METHODS: In the rodent model, male Wistar rats (250 g) were gavage fed with either 1.2 ml of tap water control (CTL) or 0.26 g Fortetropin for 8 days. Then rats participated in a unilateral plantarflexion exercise bout. Nonexercised and exercised limbs were harvested at 180 minutes following and analyzed for gene and protein expression relative to mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and ubiquitin signaling. For the human model, 45 (of whom 37 completed the study), resistance-trained college-aged males were divided equally into 3 groups receiving a placebo macronutrient matched control, 6.6 or 19.8 g of Fortetropin supplementation during 12 weeks of resistance training. Lean mass, muscle thickness, and lower and upper body strength were measured before and after 12 weeks of training. RESULTS: The human study results indicated a Group × Time effect (p ≤ 0.05) for lean mass in which the 6.6 g (+1.7 kg) and 19.8 g (+1.68 kg) but not placebo (+0.6 kg) groups increased lean mass. Similarly, there was a Group × Time effect for muscle thickness (p ≤ 0.05), which increased in the experimental groups only. All groups increased equally in bench press and leg press strength. In the rodent model, a main effect for exercise (p ≤ 0.05) in which the control plus exercise but not Fortetropin plus exercise increased both ubiquitin monomer protein expression and polyubiquitination. mTOR signaling was elevated to a greater extent in the Fortetropin exercising conditions as indicated by greater phosphorylation status of 4EBP1, rp6, and p70S6K for both exercising conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Fortetropin supplementation increases lean body mass (LBM) and decreases markers of protein breakdown while simultaneously increasing mTOR signaling.

Effects of Arachidonic Acid Supplementation on Acute Anabolic Signaling and Chronic Functional Performance and Body Composition Adaptations.

BACKGROUND: The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of arachidonic acid (ARA) supplementation on functional performance and body composition in trained males. In addition, we performed a secondary study looking at molecular responses of ARA supplementation following an acute exercise bout in rodents. METHODS: Thirty strength-trained males (age: 20.4 ± 2.1 yrs) were randomly divided into two groups: ARA or placebo (i.e. CTL). Then, both groups underwent an 8-week, 3-day per week, non-periodized training protocol. Quadriceps muscle thickness, whole-body composition scan (DEXA), muscle strength, and power were assessed at baseline and post-test. In the rodent model, male Wistar rats (~250 g, ~8 weeks old) were pre-fed with either ARA or water (CTL) for 8 days and were fed the final dose of ARA prior to being acutely strength trained via electrical stimulation on unilateral plantar flexions. A mixed muscle sample was removed from the exercised and non-exercised leg 3 hours post-exercise. RESULTS: Lean body mass (2.9%, p<0.0005), upper-body strength (8.7%, p<0.0001), and peak power (12.7%, p<0.0001) increased only in the ARA group. For the animal trial, GSK-ß (Ser9) phosphorylation (p<0.001) independent of exercise and AMPK phosphorylation after exercise (p-AMPK less in ARA, p = 0.041) were different in ARA-fed versus CTL rats. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that ARA supplementation can positively augment strength-training induced adaptations in resistance-trained males. However, chronic studies at the molecular level are required to further elucidate how ARA combined with strength training affect muscle adaptation.

Effects of concurrent strength and endurance training on genes related to myostatin signaling pathway and muscle fiber responses.

Concurrent training (CT) seems to impair training-induced muscle hypertrophy. This study compared the effects of CT, strength training (ST) and interval training (IT) on the muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) response, and on the expression of selected genes involved in the myostatin (MSTN) signaling mRNA levels. Thirty-seven physically active men were randomly divided into 4 groups: CT (n = 11), ST (n = 11), IT (n = 8), and control group (C) (n = 7) and underwent an 8-week training period. Vastus lateralis biopsy muscle samples were obtained at baseline and 48 hours after the last training session. Muscle fiber CSA, selected genes expression, and maximum dynamic ST (1 repetition maximum) were evaluated before and after training. Type IIa and type I muscle fiber CSA increased from pre- to posttest only in the ST group (17.08 and 17.9%, respectively). The SMAD-7 gene expression significantly increased at the posttest in the ST (53.9%) and CT groups (39.3%). The MSTN and its regulatory genes ActIIb, FLST-3, FOXO-3a, and GASP-1 mRNA levels remained unchanged across time and groups. One repetition maximum increased from pre- to posttest in both the ST and CT groups (ST = 18.5%; CT = 17.6%). Our findings are suggestive that MSTN and their regulatory genes at transcript level cannot differentiate muscle fiber CSA responses between CT and ST regimens in humans.

Effects of oral adenosine-5'-triphosphate supplementation on athletic performance, skeletal muscle hypertrophy and recovery in resistance-trained men.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is a lack of studies examining the effects of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) supplementation utilizing a long-term, periodized resistance-training program (RT) in resistance-trained populations. Therefore, we investigated the effects of 12 weeks of 400 mg per day of oral ATP on muscular adaptations in trained individuals. We also sought to determine the effects of ATP on muscle protein breakdown, cortisol, and performance during an overreaching cycle. METHODS: The study was a 3-phase randomized, double-blind, and placebo- and diet-controlled intervention. Phase 1 was a periodized resistance-training program. Phase 2 consisted of a two week overreaching cycle in which volume and frequency were increased followed by a 2-week taper (Phase 3). Muscle mass, strength, and power were examined at weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12 to assess the chronic effects of ATP; assessment performance variables also occurred at the end of weeks 9 and 10, corresponding to the mid and endpoints of the overreaching cycle. RESULTS: There were time (p<0.001), and group x time effects for increased total body strength (+55.3 ± 6.0 kg ATP vs. + 22.4 ± 7.1 kg placebo, p<0.001); increased vertical jump power (+ 796 ± 75 ATP vs. 614 ± 52 watts placebo, p<0.001); and greater ultrasound determined muscle thickness (+4.9 ± 1.0 ATP vs. (2.5 ± 0.6 mm placebo, p<0.02) with ATP supplementation. During the overreaching cycle, there were group x time effects for strength and power, which decreased to a greater extent in the placebo group. Protein breakdown was also lower in the ATP group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest oral ATP supplementation may enhance muscular adaptations following 12-weeks of resistance training, and prevent decrements in performance following overreaching. No statistically or clinically significant changes in blood chemistry or hematology were observed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01508338.

Effect of eccentric exercise velocity on akt/mtor/p70(s6k) signaling in human skeletal muscle.

It has been suggested that muscle tension plays a major role in the activation of intracellular pathways for skeletal muscle hypertrophy via an increase in mechano growth factor (MGF) and other downstream targets. Eccentric exercise (EE) imposes a greater amount of tension on the active muscle. In particular, high-speed EE seems to exert an additional effect on muscle tension and, thus, on muscle hypertrophy. However, little is known about the effect of EE velocity on hypertrophy signaling. This study investigated the effect of acute EE-velocity manipulation on the Akt/mTORCI/p70(S6K) hypertrophy pathway. Twenty subjects were assigned to either a slow (20°·s(-1); ES) or fast EE (210°·s(-1); EF) group. Biopsies were taken from vastus lateralis at baseline (B), immediately after (T1), and 2 h after (T2) the completion of 5 sets of 8 repetitions of eccentric knee extensions. Akt, mTOR, and p70(S6K) total protein were similar between groups, and did not change postintervention. Further, Akt and p70(S6K) protein phosphorylation were higher at T2 than at B for ES and EF. MGF messenger RNA was similar between groups, and only significantly higher at T2 than at B in ES. The acute manipulation of EE velocity does not seem to differently influence intracellular hypertrophy signaling through the Akt/mTORCI/p70S6K pathway.