scholarly journals Under the Hood: Skeletal Muscle Determinants of Endurance Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan van der Zwaard ◽  
Franck Brocherie ◽  
Richard T. Jaspers
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Maximal Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Endurance Performance ◽  
Oxidative Capacity ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Type I ◽  
Integrative Assessment

In the past decades, researchers have extensively studied (elite) athletes' physiological responses to understand how to maximize their endurance performance. In endurance sports, whole-body measurements such as the maximal oxygen consumption, lactate threshold, and efficiency/economy play a key role in performance. Although these determinants are known to interact, it has also been demonstrated that athletes rarely excel in all three. The leading question is how athletes reach exceptional values in one or all of these determinants to optimize their endurance performance, and how such performance can be explained by (combinations of) underlying physiological determinants. In this review, we advance on Joyner and Coyle's conceptual framework of endurance performance, by integrating a meta-analysis of the interrelationships, and corresponding effect sizes between endurance performance and its key physiological determinants at the macroscopic (whole-body) and the microscopic level (muscle tissue, i.e., muscle fiber oxidative capacity, oxygen supply, muscle fiber size, and fiber type). Moreover, we discuss how these physiological determinants can be improved by training and what potential physiological challenges endurance athletes may face when trying to maximize their performance. This review highlights that integrative assessment of skeletal muscle determinants points toward efficient type-I fibers with a high mitochondrial oxidative capacity and strongly encourages well-adjusted capillarization and myoglobin concentrations to accommodate the required oxygen flux during endurance performance, especially in large muscle fibers. Optimisation of endurance performance requires careful design of training interventions that fine tune modulation of exercise intensity, frequency and duration, and particularly periodisation with respect to the skeletal muscle determinants.

scholarly journals Gsα deficiency in skeletal muscle leads to reduced muscle mass, fiber-type switching, and glucose intolerance without insulin resistance or deficiency

2009 ◽  
Vol 296 (4) ◽  
pp. C930-C940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Chen ◽  
Han-Zhong Feng ◽  
Divakar Gupta ◽  
James Kelleher ◽  
Kathryn E. Dickerson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Mass ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Oxidative Capacity ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Kinetic Properties ◽  
Intracellular Camp ◽  
Type I ◽  
Muscle Adaptation ◽  
Α Subunit

The ubiquitously expressed G protein α-subunit Gsα is required for receptor-stimulated intracellular cAMP responses and is an important regulator of energy and glucose metabolism. We have generated skeletal muscle-specific Gsα-knockout (KO) mice (MGsKO) by mating Gsα-floxed mice with muscle creatine kinase-cre transgenic mice. MGsKO mice had normal body weight and composition, and their serum glucose, insulin, free fatty acid, and triglyceride levels were similar to that of controls. However, MGsKO mice were glucose intolerant despite the fact that insulin sensitivity and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion were normal, suggesting an insulin-independent mechanism. Isolated muscles from MGsKO mice had increased basal glucose uptake and normal responses to a stimulator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which indicates that AMPK and its downstream pathways are intact. Compared with control mice, MGsKO mice had reduced muscle mass with decreased cross-sectional area and force production. In addition, adult MGsKO mice showed an increased proportion of type I (slow-twitch, oxidative) fibers based on kinetic properties and myosin heavy chain isoforms, despite the fact that these muscles had reduced expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator protein-1α (PGC-1α) and reduced mitochondrial content and oxidative capacity. Therefore Gsα deficiency led to fast-to-slow fiber-type switching, which appeared to be dissociated from the expected change in oxidative capacity. MGsKO mice are a valuable model for future studies of the role of Gsα signaling pathways in skeletal muscle adaptation and their effects on whole body metabolism.

Satellite cell and myonuclear accretion is related to training-induced skeletal muscle fiber hypertrophy in young males and females

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sidney Abou Sawan ◽  
Nathan Hodson ◽  
Paul Babits ◽  
Julia M. Malowany ◽  
Dinesh A. Kumbhare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Resistance Exercise ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Young Males ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Type Ii Fibers

Satellite cells (SC) play an integral role in the recovery from skeletal muscle damage and supporting muscle hypertrophy. Acute resistance exercise typically elevates type I and type II SC content 24-96 hours post-exercise in healthy young males, although comparable research in females is lacking. We aimed to elucidate whether sex-based differences exist in fiber type-specific SC content after resistance exercise in the untrained (UT) and trained (T) states. Ten young males (23.0 ± 4.0y) and females (23.0 ± 4.8y) completed an acute bout of resistance exercise before and after 8 weeks of whole-body resistance training. Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis immediately prior to and 24 and 48-hours after each bout to determine SC and myonuclear content by immunohistochemistry. Males had greater SC associated with type II fibers (P ≤ 0.03). There was no effect of acute resistance exercise on SC content in either fiber type (P ≥ 0.58) for either sex, however, training increased SC in type II fibers (P < 0.01) irrespective of sex. The change in mean 0-48 h type II SC was positively correlated with muscle fiber hypertrophy in type II fibers (r = 0.47; P = 0.035). Furthermore, the change in myonuclei per fiber was positively correlated with type I and type II fiber hypertrophy (both r = 0.68; P < 0.01). Our results suggest that SC responses to acute and chronic resistance exercise are similar in males and females and that SC and myonuclear accretion is related to training-induced muscle fiber hypertrophy.

Blood flow to different skeletal muscle fiber types during contraction

1983 ◽  
Vol 245 (2) ◽  
pp. H265-H275 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Mackie ◽  
R. L. Terjung
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Blood Flow ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Oxidative Capacity ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Fiber ◽  
Muscle Fiber Types ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Blood Flows ◽  
Fast Twitch

Blood flow to fast-twitch red (FTR), fast-twitch white (FTW), and slow-twitch red (STR) muscle fiber sections of the gastrocnemius-plantaris-soleus muscle group was determined using 15 +/- 3-microns microspheres during in situ stimulation in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. Steady-state blood flows were assessed during the 10th min of contraction using twitch (0.1, 0.5, 1, 3, and 5 Hz) and tetanic (7.5, 15, 30, 60, and 120/min) stimulation conditions. In addition, an earlier blood flow determination was begun at 3 min (twitch series) or at 30 s (tetanic series) of stimulation. Blood flow was highest in the FTR (220-240 ml X min-1 X 100 g-1), intermediate in the STR (140), and lowest in the FTW (70-80) section during tetanic contraction conditions estimated to coincide with the peak aerobic function of each fiber type. These blood flows are fairly proportional to the differences in oxidative capacity among fiber types. Further, their absolute values are similar to those predicted from the relationship between blood flow and oxidative capacity found by others for dog and cat muscles. During low-frequency contraction conditions, initial blood flow to the FTR and STR sections were excessively high and not dependent on contraction frequency. However, blood flows subsequently decreased to values in keeping with the relative energy demands. In contrast, FTW muscle did not exhibit this time-dependent relative hyperemia. Thus, besides the obvious quantitative differences between skeletal muscle fiber types, there are qualitative differences in blood flow response during contractions. Our findings establish that, based on fiber type composition, a heterogeneity in blood flow distribution can occur within a whole muscle during contraction.

Gene Polymorphisms and Fiber-Type Composition of Human Skeletal Muscle

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ildus I. Ahmetov ◽  
Olga L. Vinogradova ◽  
Alun G. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Human Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Vastus Lateralis Muscle ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Fiber Type Composition ◽  
Type Composition ◽  
Type I Fibers

The ability to perform aerobic or anaerobic exercise varies widely among individuals, partially depending on their muscle-fiber composition. Variability in the proportion of skeletal-muscle fiber types may also explain marked differences in aspects of certain chronic disease states including obesity, insulin resistance, and hypertension. In untrained individuals, the proportion of slow-twitch (Type I) fibers in the vastus lateralis muscle is typically around 50% (range 5–90%), and it is unusual for them to undergo conversion to fast-twitch fibers. It has been suggested that the genetic component for the observed variability in the proportion of Type I fibers in human muscles is on the order of 40–50%, indicating that muscle fiber-type composition is determined by both genotype and environment. This article briefly reviews current progress in the understanding of genetic determinism of fiber-type proportion in human skeletal muscle. Several polymorphisms of genes involved in the calcineurin–NFAT pathway, mitochondrial biogenesis, glucose and lipid metabolism, cytoskeletal function, hypoxia and angiogenesis, and circulatory homeostasis have been associated with fiber-type composition. As muscle is a major contributor to metabolism and physical strength and can readily adapt, it is not surprising that many of these gene variants have been associated with physical performance and athlete status, as well as metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Genetic variants associated with fiber-type proportions have important implications for our understanding of muscle function in both health and disease.

scholarly journals Lack of cyclin D3 induces skeletal muscle fiber-type shifting, increased endurance performance and hypermetabolism

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Giannattasio ◽  
Giacomo Giacovazzo ◽  
Agnese Bonato ◽  
Carla Caruso ◽  
Siro Luvisetto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Endurance Performance ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Fiber ◽  
Muscle Fiber Type ◽  
Cyclin D3 ◽  
Type Shifting

scholarly journals Overexpression of TRB3 in muscle alters muscle fiber type and improves exercise capacity in mice

2014 ◽  
Vol 306 (12) ◽  
pp. R925-R933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ding An ◽  
Sarah J. Lessard ◽  
Taro Toyoda ◽  
Min-Young Lee ◽  
Ho-Jin Koh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Exercise Capacity ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Wheel Running ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Muscle Fiber Type ◽  
Acid Oxidation ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Type I ◽  
Pronounced Increase

Increasing evidence suggests that TRB3, a mammalian homolog of Drosophila tribbles, plays an important role in cell growth, differentiation, and metabolism. In the liver, TRB3 binds and inhibits Akt activity, whereas in adipocytes, TRB3 upregulates fatty acid oxidation. In cultured muscle cells, TRB3 has been identified as a potential regulator of insulin signaling. However, little is known about the function and regulation of TRB3 in skeletal muscle in vivo. In the current study, we found that 4 wk of voluntary wheel running (6.6 ± 0.4 km/day) increased TRB3 mRNA by 1.6-fold and protein by 2.5-fold in the triceps muscle. Consistent with this finding, muscle-specific transgenic mice that overexpress TRB3 (TG) had a pronounced increase in exercise capacity compared with wild-type (WT) littermates (TG: 1,535 ± 283; WT: 644 ± 67 joules). The increase in exercise capacity in TRB3 TG mice was not associated with changes in glucose uptake or glycogen levels; however, these mice displayed a dramatic shift toward a more oxidative/fatigue-resistant (type I/IIA) muscle fiber type, including threefold more type I fibers in soleus muscles. Skeletal muscle from TRB3 TG mice had significantly decreased PPARα expression, twofold higher levels of miR208b and miR499, and corresponding increases in the myosin heavy chain isoforms Myh7 and Myb7b, which encode these microRNAs. These findings suggest that TRB3 regulates muscle fiber type via a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α)-regulated miR499/miR208b pathway, revealing a novel function for TRB3 in the regulation of skeletal muscle fiber type and exercise capacity.

Genetic effects in human skeletal muscle fiber type distribution and enzyme activities

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 1245-1251 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Bouchard ◽  
J. A. Simoneau ◽  
G. Lortie ◽  
M. R. Boulay ◽  
M. Marcotte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Enzyme Activities ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Genetic Effect ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Distribution ◽  
Fiber Type Distribution ◽  
Mz Twins

The purpose of the study was to estimate the genetic effect for skeletal muscle characteristics using pairs of nontwin brothers (n = 32), dizygotic (DZ) twins (n = 26), and monozygotic (MZ) twins (n = 35). They were submitted to a needle biopsy of the vastus lateralis for the determination of fiber type distribution (I, IIa, IIb) and the following enzymes were assayed for maximal activity: creatine kinase, hexokinase, phosphofructokinase (PFK), lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase, and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH). For the percentage of type I fibers, intraclass correlations were 0.33 (p < 0.05), 0.52 (p < 0.01), and 0.55 (p < 0.01) in brothers and DZ and MZ twins, respectively. MZ twins exhibited significant within-pair resemblance for all enzyme activities (0.30 ≤ r ≤ 0.68). In spite of these correlations, genetic analyses performed with the twin data alone indicated that there was no significant genetic effect for muscle fiber type I, IIa, and IIb distribution and fiber areas. Although there were significant correlations in MZ twins for all muscle enzyme activities, the often nonsignificant intraclass coefficients found in brothers and DZ twins suggest that variations in enzyme activities are highly related to common environmental conditions and nongenetic factors. However, genetic factors appear to be involved in the variation of regulatory enzymes of the glycolytic (PFK) and citric acid cycle (OGDH) pathways and in the variation of the oxidative to glycolytic activity ratio (PFK/OGDH ratio). Data show that these genetic effects reach only about 25–50% of the total phenotypic variation when data are adjusted for age and sex differences.

scholarly journals Satellite cell content is specifically reduced in type II skeletal muscle fibers in the elderly

2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (1) ◽  
pp. E151-E157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lex B. Verdijk ◽  
René Koopman ◽  
Gert Schaart ◽  
Kenneth Meijer ◽  
Hans H. C. M. Savelberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Fiber Area ◽  
Muscle Fiber Atrophy ◽  
Fiber Atrophy ◽  
Type Ii Fibers

Satellite cells (SC) are essential for skeletal muscle growth and repair. Because sarcopenia is associated with type II muscle fiber atrophy, we hypothesized that SC content is specifically reduced in the type II fibers in the elderly. A total of eight elderly (E; 76 ± 1 yr) and eight young (Y; 20 ± 1 yr) healthy males were selected. Muscle biopsies were collected from the vastus lateralis in both legs. ATPase staining and a pax7-antibody were used to determine fiber type-specific SC content (i.e., pax7-positive SC) on serial muscle cross sections. In contrast to the type I fibers, the proportion and mean cross-sectional area of the type II fibers were substantially reduced in E vs. Y. The number of SC per type I fiber was similar in E and Y. However, the number of SC per type II fiber was substantially lower in E vs. Y (0.044 ± 0.003 vs. 0.080 ± 0.007; P < 0.01). In addition, in the type II fibers, the number of SC relative to the total number of nuclei and the number of SC per fiber area were also significantly lower in E. This study is the first to show type II fiber atrophy in the elderly to be associated with a fiber type-specific decline in SC content. The latter is evident when SC content is expressed per fiber or per fiber area. The decline in SC content might be an important factor in the etiology of type II muscle fiber atrophy, which accompanies the loss of skeletal muscle with aging.

Interrelationships between muscle morphology, insulin action, and adiposity

1996 ◽  
Vol 270 (6) ◽  
pp. R1332-R1339 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Kriketos ◽  
D. A. Pan ◽  
S. Lillioja ◽  
G. J. Cooney ◽  
L. A. Baur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Body Fat ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Insulin Action ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Oxidative Capacity ◽  
Muscle Fiber Type ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fa Composition ◽  
Type I Fibers

There is evidence that insulin resistance and obesity are associated with relative increases in the proportion of glycolytic type IIb muscle fibers and decreases in the proportion of oxidative type I fibers. Futhermore, insulin resistance and obesity are associated with the fatty acid (FA) profile of structural membrane lipids. The present study was undertaken to define interrelationships between muscle fiber type and oxidative capacity, muscle membrane FA composition, and insulin action and obesity. Muscle morphology, insulin action, and body fat content were measured in 48 male nondiabetic Pima Indians. Percent body fat (pFAT, determined by hydrodensitometry) correlated negatively with percentage of type I fibers (r = -0.44, P = 0.002) and positively with percentage of type IIb fibers (r = 0.40, P = 0.005). Consistent with this finding, pFAT was also significantly related to oxidative capacity of muscle, as assessed by NADH staining (r = -0.47, P = 0.0007) and citrate synthase (CS) activity (r = -0.43, P = 0.008). Insulin action was correlated with oxidative capacity (CS; r = 0.41, P = 0.01) and weakly correlated with percentage of type IIb fibers (r = -0.29, P = 0.05). In addition, relationships were shown between muscle fiber type and FA composition (e.g., percentage of type I fibers related to n-3 FA; r = 0.37, P = 0.01). Thus leaness and insulin sensitivity are associated with increased oxidative capacity and unsaturation of membranes in skeletal muscle. Present studies support the hypothesis that muscle oxidative capacity and fiber type may play a genetically determined or an environmentally modified role in development of obesity and insulin resistance.

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