Extracellular flux analyses reveal differences in mitochondrial PBMC metabolism between high-fit and low-fit females

Analyzing metabolism of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) can possibly serve as a cellular metabolic read-out for lifestyle factors and lifestyle interventions. However, the impact of PBMC composition on PBMC metabolism is not yet clear, neither is the differential impact of a longer-term lifestyle factor versus a short-term lifestyle intervention. We investigated the effect of aerobic fitness level and a recent exercise bout on PBMC metabolism in females. PBMCs from 31 young female adults divided into a high-fit (V̇O2peak ≥ 47 mL/kg/min, N = 15) and low-fit (V̇O2peak ≤ 37 mL/kg/min, N = 16) group were isolated at baseline and overnight after a single bout of exercise (60 minutes, 70% V̇O2peak). Oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and glycolytic rate (GR) were measured using extracellular flux (XF) assays and PBMC subsets were characterized using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Basal OCR, FCCP-induced OCR, spare respiratory capacity, ATP-linked OCR, and proton leak were significantly higher in high-fit compared to low-fit females (all P < 0.01), while no significant differences in glycolytic rate (GR) were found (all P > 0.05). A recent exercise bout did not significantly affect GR or OCR parameters (all P > 0.05). The overall PBMC composition was similar between high-fit and low-fit females. Mitochondrial PBMC function was significantly higher in PBMCs from high-fit compared to low-fit females, which was unrelated to PBMC composition and not impacted by a recent bout of exercise. Our study reveals a link between PBMC metabolism and levels of aerobic fitness, increasing the relevance of PBMC metabolism as a marker to study the impact of lifestyle factors on human health.

Investigation of Aerobic and Muscular Fitness and Concussion Among Service Academy Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy: Results from the CARE Consortium

ABSTRACT Introduction Concussion has become the signature injury facing the U.S. military. However, little is understood about the relationship between military fitness and concussion recovery. The current study examined the recoveries of cadets at a U.S. Service Academy to determine whether preinjury physical fitness improved recovery and whether recovery was associated with post-injury physical fitness measures. Methods Participants were enrolled in a longitudinal study of concussion. Aerobic Fitness Test (AFT) and Physical Fitness Test (PFT) data were used to estimate cadet fitness. Survival analysis evaluated significant estimators of concussion recovery time. Linear regression models were used to explore the relationship between recovery duration and change in physical fitness scores. Results Between 2014 and 2017, 307 (n = 70; 22.80% Women) cadets who had sustained a concussion were enrolled. Preinjury physical fitness was not significantly associated with recovery duration (P &gt; .05). Men and intercollegiate cadets took fewer days to reach recovery milestones. Compared to women, men had greater decrements in the Aerobic Fitness Test total score (P &lt; .05) and increased 1.5-mile time postconcussion (P &lt; .05). Women had greater decreases in push-ups postconcussion compared to males (P &lt; .05). There was a trend for a negative association between days until asymptomatic and change in the Physical Fitness Test score (P = .07). Conclusion Preconcussion physical fitness levels do not appear to impact concussion recovery time among a highly physically fit cohort. Possible methods to reduce the effect of symptom duration on strength-related physical fitness should be investigated along with evaluating reductions in strength as a possible mechanism for postconcussion injury risk.

Association between aerobic fitness and the functional connectome in patients with schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is accompanied by widespread alterations in static functional connectivity associated with symptom severity and cognitive deficits. Improvements in aerobic fitness have been demonstrated to ameliorate symptomatology and cognition in people with schizophrenia, but the intermediary role of macroscale connectivity patterns remains unknown. Therefore, we aim to explore the relation between aerobic fitness and the functional connectome in individuals with schizophrenia. Further, we investigate clinical and cognitive relevance of the identified fitness-connectivity links. 58 patients with schizophrenia were included in the resting-state fMRI analysis. Multilevel Bayesian partial correlations between aerobic fitness and functional connections across the whole brain as well as between static functional connectivity patterns and clinical and cognitive outcome were performed. Preliminary causal inferences were enabled based on a mediation analysis. Static functional connectivity between the subcortical nuclei and the cerebellum as well as between temporal seeds mediated the attenuating impact of aerobic fitness on total symptom severity. Functional connections between cerebellar seeds affected the positive link between aerobic fitness and global cognition, while the functional interplay between central and limbic seeds drove the beneficial relation between aerobic fitness and emotion recognition. The current study provides first insights into the interactions between aerobic fitness, the functional connectome and clinical and cognitive outcome in people with schizophrenia, but results have to be interpreted carefully. Further interventional aerobic exercise studies are needed in order to replicate the current findings and to enable conclusive causal inferences.

RELEVANCE OF VO2max CONSUMPTION IN ELITE BULGARIAN TAEKWONDO COMPETITORS

The aim of this study was to determine aerobic fitness through the VO2max treadmill test of elite Bulgarian taekwondo players with international results, and to determine whether the aerobic system had an effect upon the sports result in taekwondo. Fourteen elite taekwondo athletes, members of the Bulgarian national team (8 male and 6 female) were tested using a continuous progressive treadmill test. Physiological characteristics such as maximal oxygen uptake(VO2max), blood lactate and heart rate were measured. The male athletes recorded 58.2±3.4 ml kg–1 min–1 and the female 46.0±2.8 ml kg–1 min–1. The lactate level reached its highest at the 6’ after the VO2max with results for the males of 11.5±3.7 (mmol l-1) and 9.9±4.1 (mmol l-1) for the females respectively. A comparison between our results, regarding VO2max and previously reported was made using the One-way Anova for independent samples. It showed no significant difference between the male subjects (58.2±3.4 versus 60.7±3.3 ml kg(-1) min(-1), p>.05) and significant difference between the female ones (46.0±2.8 versus 49.8±2.8 ml kg(-1) min(-1), p<.05). Investigated also was the number of kicks executed by the winner of -49 kg weight category and her direct opponents during the 2019 Grand Prix Sofia. It was discovered that the winner kicked an average of 86.25 times per match and her kicks during the Grand Prix Sofia accumulated to 390 in total. It is our conclusion that the aerobic fitness does not play a significant role in taekwondo.