improving-strength-power-muscle-aerobic-capacity-glucose-tolerance

Improving Strength, Power, Muscle Aerobic Capacity, and Glucose Tolerance through Short-term Progressive Strength Training Among Elderly People

This protocol describes the simultaneous use of a broad span of methods to examine muscle aerobic capacity, glucose tolerance, strength, and power in ...

The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH

The purpose of the study was to investigate the specific effect of leucine on mTORC1 signalling and amino acid metabolism in connection with resistance exercise. Comparisons were made between ingestion of supplements with and without leucine. Eight young women performed leg press exercise on 2 occasions. In randomized order they received either an aqueous solution of essential amino acids with leucine (EAA) or without leucine (EAA-Leu), given as small boluses throughout the experiment. Muscle biopsies were taken after an overnight fast before exercise and 1 and 3 h postexercise and samples of blood were taken repeatedly during the experiment. Plasma and muscle concentrations of leucine rose 60%-140% (p < 0.05) with EAA and fell 35%-45% (p < 0.05) with the EAA-Leu supplement. In the EAA-trial, plasma and muscle levels of tyrosine (not present in the supplement) and the sum of the EAA were 15%-25% (p < 0.05) lower during recovery. Phosphorylation of mTOR and p70S6k was elevated to a larger extent following 1 h of recovery with leucine in the supplement (120% vs. 49% (p < 0.05) and 59- vs. 8-fold (p < 0.05) for EAA and EAA-Leu, respectively). The levels of MAFbx and MuRF-1 mRNA and of the corresponding proteins were not significantly altered after 3 h recovery from exercise. In conclusion, the presence of leucine in the supplement enhances the stimulatory effect on mTORC1 signalling and reduces the level of tyrosine and the sum of the EAA in muscle and plasma, suggesting a stimulation of protein synthesis and (or) inhibition of breakdown, leading to improvement in net protein balance.

Absence of leucine in an essential amino acid supplement reduces activation of mTORC1 signalling following resistance exercise in young females.

Combining endurance and strength training in the same session has been reported to reduce the anabolic response to the latter form of exercise. The underlying mechanism, based primarily on results from rodent muscle, is proposed to involve AMPK-dependent inhibition of mTORC1 signaling. This hypothesis was tested in eight trained male subjects who in randomized order performed either resistance exercise only (R) or interval cycling followed by resistance exercise (ER). Biopsies taken from the vastus lateralis before and after endurance exercise and repeatedly after resistance exercise were assessed for glycogen content, kinase activity, protein phosphorylation, and gene expression. Mixed muscle fractional synthetic rate was measured at rest and during 3 h of recovery using the stable isotope technique. In ER, AMPK activity was elevated immediately after both endurance and resistance exercise (∼90%, P < 0.05) but was unchanged in R. Thr(389) phosphorylation of S6K1 was increased severalfold immediately after exercise (P < 0.05) in both trials and increased further throughout recovery. After 90 and 180 min recovery, S6K1 activity was elevated (∼55 and ∼110%, respectively, P < 0.05) and eukaryotic elongation factor 2 phosphorylation was reduced (∼55%, P < 0.05) with no difference between trials. In contrast, markers for protein catabolism were differently influenced by the two modes of exercise; ER induced a significant increase in gene and protein expression of MuRF1 (P < 0.05), which was not observed following R exercise only. In conclusion, cycling-induced elevation in AMPK activity does not inhibit mTOR complex 1 signaling after subsequent resistance exercise but may instead interfere with the hypertrophic response by influencing key components in protein breakdown.

Resistance exercise-induced S6K1 kinase activity is not inhibited in human skeletal muscle despite prior activation of AMPK by high-intensity interval cycling.

We examined how the stimulatory effect of leucine on the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway is affected by the presence of the remaining essential amino acids (EAAs). Nine male subjects performed resistance exercise on 4 occasions and were randomly supplied EAAs with leucine, EAAs without leucine (EAA-Leu), leucine alone, or flavored water (placebo; control). Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis before and 60 and 90 min after exercise. Biopsies were analyzed for protein phosphorylation, kinase activity, protein-protein interactions, amino acid concentrations, and tracer incorporation. Leucine alone stimulated ribosomal protein s6 kinase 1 (S6K1) phosphorylation ∼280% more than placebo and EAA-Leu after exercise. Moreover, this response was enhanced by 60-75% after intake of EAAs compared with that of leucine alone (P < 0.05). Kinase activity of S6K1 reflected that of S6K1 phosphorylation; 60 min after exercise, the activity was elevated 3.3- and 4.2-fold with intake of leucine alone and with EAAs, respectively (P < 0.05). The interaction between mammalian target of rapamycin and regulatory-associated protein of mammalian target of rapamycin was unaltered in response to both resistance exercise and amino acid provision. Leucine alone stimulates mTORC1 signaling, although this response is enhanced by other EAAs and does not appear to be caused by alterations in mTORC1 assembly.

Leucine does not affect mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 assembly but is required for maximal ribosomal protein s6 kinase 1 activity in human skeletal muscle following resistance exercise.

Reports concerning the effect of endurance exercise on the anabolic response to strength training have been contradictory. This study re-investigated this issue, focusing on training effects on indicators of protein synthesis and degradation. Two groups of male subjects performed 7 weeks of resistance exercise alone (R; n = 7) or in combination with preceding endurance exercise, including both continuous and interval cycling (ER; n = 9). Muscle biopsies were taken before and after the training period. Similar increases in leg-press 1 repetition maximum (30%; P<0.05) were observed in both groups, whereas maximal oxygen uptake was elevated (8%; P<0.05) only in the ER group. The ER training enlarged the areas of both type I and type II fibers, whereas the R protocol increased only the type II fibers. The mean fiber area increased by 28% (P<0.05) in the ER group, whereas no significant increase was observed in the R group. Moreover, expression of Akt and mTOR protein was enhanced in the ER group, whereas only the level of mTOR was elevated following R training. Training-induced alterations in the levels of both Akt and mTOR protein were correlated to changes in type I fiber area (r = 0.55-0.61, P<0.05), as well as mean fiber area (r = 0.55-0.61, P<0.05), reflecting the important role played by these proteins in connection with muscle hypertrophy. Both training regimes reduced the level of MAFbx protein (P<0.05) and tended to elevate that of MuRF-1. The present findings indicate that the larger hypertrophy observed in the ER group is due more to pronounced stimulation of anabolic rather than inhibition of catabolic processes.

Endurance Exercise Enhances the Effect of Strength Training on Muscle Fiber Size and Protein Expression of Akt and mTOR.

Protein synthesis is stimulated by resistance exercise and intake of amino acids, in particular leucine. Moreover, activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling by leucine is potentiated by the presence of other essential amino acids (EAA). However, the contribution of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to this effect is yet unknown. Here we compare the stimulatory role of leucine, BCAA, and EAA ingestion on anabolic signaling following exercise. Accordingly, eight trained volunteers completed four sessions of resistance exercise during which they ingested either placebo, leucine, BCAA, or EAA (including the BCAA) in random order. Muscle biopsies were taken at rest, immediately after exercise, and following 90 and 180 min of recovery. Following 90 min of recovery the activity of S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) was greater than at rest in all four trials (Placebo<Leucine<BCAA<EAA; P < 0.05 time × supplement), with a ninefold increase in the EAA trial. At this same time point, phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E)-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) at Thr(37/46) was unaffected by supplementation, while that of Thr(46) alone exhibited a pattern similar to that of S6K1, being 18% higher with EAA than BCAA. However, after 180 min of recovery this difference between EAA and BCAA had disappeared, although with both these supplements the increases were still higher than with leucine (40%, P < 0.05) and placebo (100%, P < 0.05). In summary, EAA ingestion appears to stimulate translation initiation more effectively than the other supplements, although the results also suggest that this effect is primarily attributable to the BCAA.

Activation of mTORC1 by leucine is potentiated by branched-chain amino acids and even more so by essential amino acids following resistance exercise.

The transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α is recognized as the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. However, recently a novel isoform, PGC-1α4, that specifically regulates muscle hypertrophy was discovered. Because stimulation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity is tightly coupled to hypertrophy, we hypothesized that activation of this pathway would upregulate PGC-1α4. Eight male subjects performed heavy resistance exercise (10 × 8-12 repetitions at ∼75% of 1 repetition maximum in leg press) on four different occasions, ingesting in random order a solution containing essential amino acids (EAA), branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), leucine, or flavored water (placebo) during and after the exercise. Biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis muscle before and immediately after exercise, as well as following 90 and 180 min of recovery. Signaling through mTORC1, as reflected in p70S6 kinase phosphorylation, was stimulated to a greater extent by the EAA and BCAA than the leucine or placebo supplements. Unexpectedly, intake of EAA or BCAA attenuated the stimulatory effect of exercise on PGC-1α4 expression by ∼50% (from a 10- to 5-fold increase with BCAA and EAA, P < 0.05) 3 h after exercise, whereas intake of leucine alone did not reduce this response. The 60% increase (P < 0.05) in the level of PGC-1α1 mRNA 90 min after exercise was uninfluenced by amino acid intake. Muscle glycogen levels were reduced and AMP-activated protein kinase α2 activity and phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase enhanced to the same extent with all four supplements. In conclusion, induction of PGC-1α4 does not appear to regulate the nutritional (BCAA or EAA)-mediated activation of mTORC1 in human muscle.

Article	Year
Absence of leucine in an essential amino acid supplement reduces activation of mTORC1 signalling following resistance exercise in young females. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme\| PubMed ID: 24476474	2014
Resistance exercise-induced S6K1 kinase activity is not inhibited in human skeletal muscle despite prior activation of AMPK by high-intensity interval cycling. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism\| PubMed ID: 25605643	2015
Leucine does not affect mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 assembly but is required for maximal ribosomal protein s6 kinase 1 activity in human skeletal muscle following resistance ex... FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology\| PubMed ID: 26169935	2015
Endurance Exercise Enhances the Effect of Strength Training on Muscle Fiber Size and Protein Expression of Akt and mTOR. PloS one\| PubMed ID: 26885978	2016
Activation of mTORC1 by leucine is potentiated by branched-chain amino acids and even more so by essential amino acids following resistance exercise. American journal of physiology. Cell physiology\| PubMed ID: 27053525	2016
Intake of branched-chain or essential amino acids attenuates the elevation in muscle levels of PGC-1α4 mRNA caused by resistance exercise. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism\| PubMed ID: 27245337	2016

Marcus Moberg

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