Blood flow restriction in human skeletal muscle during rest periods after high-load resistance training down-regulates miR-206 and induces Pax7

Backgroud:Blood flow re striction(BFR) with low-intensity re sistance training has been shown to result in hypertrophy of skeletal muscle.In this study,we tested the hypothesis that BFR during the rest periods between acute,high-intensity resistance exercise sessions(70% of 1 repetition maximum,7 sets with 10 repetitions) enhances the effects of the resistance training.Methods:A total of 7 healthy young men performed squats,and between sets BFR was carried out on one leg while the other leg served as a control.Because BFR was applied during rest periods,even severe occlusion pressure(approximately 230 mmHg),which almost completely blocked blood flow,was well-tolerated by the participants.Five muscle-specific microRNAs were measured from the biopsy samples,which were taken 2 h after the acute training.Results:Doppler data showed that the pattern of blood flow recovery changed significantly between the first and last BFR.microRNA-206 levels significantly decreased in the BFR leg compared to the control.The mRNA levels of RAC-β serine/threonine-protein kinase v22,nuclear re spiratory factor 1,vascular endothelial growth factor,lupus Ku autoantigen protein p70 genes(p <0.05),and paired box 7(p <0.01) increased in the BFR leg.The protein levels of paired box 7,nuclear respiratory factor 1,and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor y coactivator 1α did not differ between the BFR leg and the control leg.Conclusion:BFR,during the rest periods of high-load resistance training,could lead to mRNA elevation of those proteins that regulate angiogenesis,mitochondrial biogenesis,and muscle hypertrophy and repair.However,BFR also can cause DNA damage,judging from the increase in mRNA levels of lupus Ku autoantigen protein p70.

Effect of a combination of astaxanthin supplementation, heat stress, and intermittent reloading on satellite cells during disuse muscle atrophy

We examined the effect of a combination of astaxanthin （AX） supplementation, repeated heat stress, and intermittent reloading （IR） on satellite cells in unloaded rat soleus muscles. Forty-nine male Wistar rats （8-week-old） were divided into control, hind-limb unweighting （HU）, IR during HU, IR with AX supplementation, IR with repeated heat stress （41.0-41.5 ℃ for 30 min）, and IR with AX supplementation and repeated heat stress groups. After the experimental period, the antigravitational soleus muscle was analyzed using an immunohistochemical technique. Our results revealed that the combination of dietary AX supplementation and heat stress resulted in protection against disuse muscle atrophy in the soteus muscle. This protective effect may be partially due to a higher satellite cell number in the atrophied soleus muscle in the IR/AX/heat stress group compared with the numbers found in the other groups. We concluded that the combination treatment with dietary AX supplementation and repeated heat stress attenuates soleus muscle atrophy, in part by increasing the number of satellite cells.

Blood flow restriction during the resting periods of high-intensity resistance training does not alter performance but decreases MIR-1 and MIR-133A levels in human skeletal muscle

Blood flow restriction(BFR)during exercise bouts has been used to induce hypertrophy of skeletal muscle,even with low loads.However,the effects of BFR during the rest periods between sets are not known.We have tested the hypothesis that BFR during rest periods between sets of high-intensity resistance training would enhance performance.Twenty-two young adult male university students were recruited for the current study,with n=11 assigned to BFR and n=11 to a control group.The results revealed that four weeks training at 70%of 1 RM,five sets and 10 repetitions,three times a week with and without BFR,resulted in similar progress in maximal strength and in the number of maximal repetitions.The miR-1 and miR-133a decreased significantly in the vastus lateralis muscle of BFR group compared to the group without BFR,while no significant differences in the levels of miR133b,miR206,miR486,and miR499 were found between groups.In conclusion,it seems that BFR restrictions during rest periods of high-intensity resistance training,do not provide benefit for enhanced performance after a four-week training program.However,BFR-induced downregulation of miR-1 and miR-133a might cause different adaptive responses of skeletal muscle to high intensity resistance training.