Effects of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate free acid and cold water immersion on post-exercise markers of muscle damage

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate-free acid (HMB-FA) and cold-water immersion (CWI) on circulating concentrations of TNF-α and monocyte TNF-α receptor 1 (TNFR1) expression. Forty resistance-trained men (22.3 ± 2.4 yr) were randomized into four groups [placebo (PL), HMB-FA, CWI, and HMB-FA-CWI] and performed an acute, intense exercise protocol (four sets of up to 10 repetitions of the squat, dead lift, and split squat). Participants also performed four sets of up to 10 repetitions of the squat at 24 and 48 h following the initial exercise bout. Blood was sampled before exercise (PRE), immediately postexercise (IP), and 30 min, 24 h, and 48 h postexercise (30P, 24P, and 48P, respectively). Circulating TNF-α was assayed, and TNFR1 expression on CD14+ monocytes was measured by flow cytometry. The exercise protocol significantly elevated TNF-α in only PL ( P = 0.006) and CWI ( P = 0.045) IP. Mean percent changes show that TNF-α significantly increased from PRE to IP for only PL and CWI groups ( P < 0.05), whereas the percent change of TNF-α for HMB-FA and HMB-FA-CWI was not significant. TNFR1 expression was elevated in PL ( P = 0.023) and CWI ( P = 0.02) at 30P compared with PRE, whereas both HMB-FA-treated groups did not increase significantly. In conclusion, HMB-FA attenuated circulating TNF-α IP and TNFR1 expression during recovery compared with PL and CWI. HMB-FA supplementation may attenuate the initial immune response to intense exercise, which may reduce recovery time following intense exercise.

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PGC-1α alternative promoter (Exon 1b) controls augmentation of total PGC-1α gene expression in response to cold water immersion and low glycogen availability

European Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1007/s00421-020-04467-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 120 (11) ◽

pp. 2487-2493

Author(s):

R. Allan ◽

J. P. Morton ◽

G. L. Close ◽

B. Drust ◽

W. Gregson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Cold Water ◽

Water Immersion ◽

Cold Water Immersion ◽

Alternative Promoter ◽

Future Research ◽

Peroxisome Proliferator ◽

Local Cooling ◽

Post Exercise ◽

Specific Regulation

AbstractThis investigation sought to determine whether post-exercise cold water immersion and low glycogen availability, separately and in combination, would preferentially activate either the Exon 1a or Exon 1b Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) promoter. Through a reanalysis of sample design, we identified that the systemic cold-induced augmentation of total PGC-1α gene expression observed previously (Allan et al. in J Appl Physiol 123(2):451–459, 2017) was largely a result of increased expression from the alternative promoter (Exon 1b), rather than canonical promoter (Exon 1a). Low glycogen availability in combination with local cooling of the muscle (Allan et al. in Physiol Rep 7(11):e14082, 2019) demonstrated that PGC-1α alternative promoter (Exon 1b) expression continued to rise at 3 h post-exercise in all conditions; whilst, expression from the canonical promoter (Exon 1a) decreased between the same time points (post-exercise–3 h post-exercise). Importantly, this increase in PGC-1α Exon 1b expression was reduced compared to the response of low glycogen or cold water immersion alone, suggesting that the combination of prior low glycogen and CWI post-exercise impaired the response in gene expression versus these conditions individually. Data herein emphasise the influence of post-exercise cooling and low glycogen availability on Exon-specific control of total PGC-1 α gene expression and highlight the need for future research to assess Exon-specific regulation of PGC-1α.

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Cold water immersion attenuates anabolic signaling and skeletal muscle fiber hypertrophy, but not strength gain, following whole-body resistance training

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00127.2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 127 (5) ◽

pp. 1403-1418 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jackson J. Fyfe ◽

James R. Broatch ◽

Adam J. Trewin ◽

Erik D. Hanson ◽

Christos K. Argus ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Resistance Training ◽

Protein Content ◽

Muscle Fiber ◽

Cold Water ◽

Water Immersion ◽

Cold Water Immersion ◽

Post Exercise ◽

Leg Press ◽

Before And After

We determined the effects of cold water immersion (CWI) on long-term adaptations and post-exercise molecular responses in skeletal muscle before and after resistance training. Sixteen men (22.9 ± 4.6 y; 85.1 ± 17.9 kg; mean ± SD) performed resistance training (3 day/wk) for 7 wk, with each session followed by either CWI [15 min at 10°C, CWI (COLD) group, n = 8] or passive recovery (15 min at 23°C, control group, n = 8). Exercise performance [one-repetition maximum (1-RM) leg press and bench press, countermovement jump, squat jump, and ballistic push-up], body composition (dual X-ray absorptiometry), and post-exercise (i.e., +1 and +48 h) molecular responses were assessed before and after training. Improvements in 1-RM leg press were similar between groups [130 ± 69 kg, pooled effect size (ES): 1.53 ± 90% confidence interval (CI) 0.49], whereas increases in type II muscle fiber cross-sectional area were attenuated with CWI (−1,959 ± 1,675 µM2 ; ES: −1.37 ± 0.99). Post-exercise mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling (rps6 phosphorylation) was blunted for COLD at post-training (POST) +1 h (−0.4-fold, ES: −0.69 ± 0.86) and POST +48 h (−0.2-fold, ES: −1.33 ± 0.82), whereas basal protein degradation markers (FOX-O1 protein content) were increased (1.3-fold, ES: 2.17 ± 2.22). Training-induced increases in heat shock protein (HSP) 27 protein content were attenuated for COLD (−0.8-fold, ES: −0.94 ± 0.82), which also reduced total HSP72 protein content (−0.7-fold, ES: −0.79 ± 0.57). CWI blunted resistance training-induced muscle fiber hypertrophy, but not maximal strength, potentially via reduced skeletal muscle protein anabolism and increased catabolism. Post-exercise CWI should therefore be avoided if muscle hypertrophy is desired. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study adds to existing evidence that post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates muscle fiber growth with resistance training, which is potentially mediated by attenuated post-exercise increases in markers of skeletal muscle anabolism coupled with increased catabolism and suggests that blunted muscle fiber growth with cold water immersion does not necessarily translate to impaired strength development.

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