Effects of high-intensity aerobic interval training on skeletal muscle of infarcted rats

Author(s)

José Bianco Nascimento Moreira

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Educação Física e Esportes (EEFE/BT)
• Defense date: 2012-02-14

Examining board members

Patricia Chakur Brum; Alessandra Medeiros; Marina Politi Okoshi

• Advisor: Patricia Chakur Brum

Abstract

Impaired skeletal muscle performance in systemic diseases is shown to strongly predict mortality and long-term prognosis in a wide variety of syndromes, including heart failure. The clinical picture of skeletal muscle damage in cardiac situations has been described for decades. However, no pharmacological strategy proposed so far was shown to effectively prevent the onset of skeletal myopathy, reinforcing the role of aerobic exercise training in counteracting such phenomenon. Despite the well-known benefits of exercise training in sets of cardiac dysfunction, very little is known about the optimal exercise intensity to elicit maximal outcomes. Therefore, in the present study we compared the effects of high-intensity aerobic exercise training with those of an isocaloric moderate-intensity protocol on skeletal muscle adaptations in infarcted rats. Our data suggest that infarcted rats presented signs of skeletal myopathy resembling those observed in HF patients, such as metabolic enzymes impairment, skeletal muscle atrophy, disrupted redox balance and proteasomal overactivation. Here we show that both high- and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training were able to substantially increase aerobic capacity in infarcted rats, preventing the decay of citrate synthase and hexokinase maximal activities, reestablishing normal skeletal muscle morphology to a healthy profile and increasing the number of type I muscle fibers. Such outcomes were accompanied by an improved redox balance and reduced proteasomal activity in skeletal muscle. Even though high-intensity aerobic interval training was superior to moderate-intensity in improving functional capacity, the observed adaptations in skeletal muscle were remarkably similar between the protocols. Therefore, our data allow us to conclude that high-intensity and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training equally prevent skeletal myopathy induced by myocardial infarction in rats (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/12640-9 - Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Skeletal Muscle of Heart Failure Rats
• Grantee: Jose Bianco Nascimento Moreira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master