The effect of age and unilateral leg immobilisation for 2 weeks on substrate ulilisation during moderate-intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle

Age and inactivity have been associated with intramuscular triglyceride (IMTG) accumulation. Here, we attempt to disentangle these factors by studying the effect of 2 weeks of unilateral leg immobilization on substrate utilization across the legs during moderate-intensity exercise in young (n = 17;...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Vigelsø, A., Gram, M., Dybboe, R., Kuhlman, A.B., Prats, C., Greenhaff, Paul L., Constantin-Teodosiu, Dumitru, Birk, J.B., Wojtaszewski, J.F.P., Dela, F., Helge, J.W.
Format: Article
Published: Wiley 2016
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43962/
_version_ 1848796806803095552
author Vigelsø, A.
Gram, M.
Dybboe, R.
Kuhlman, A.B.
Prats, C.
Greenhaff, Paul L.
Constantin-Teodosiu, Dumitru
Birk, J.B.
Wojtaszewski, J.F.P.
Dela, F.
Helge, J.W.
author_facet Vigelsø, A.
Gram, M.
Dybboe, R.
Kuhlman, A.B.
Prats, C.
Greenhaff, Paul L.
Constantin-Teodosiu, Dumitru
Birk, J.B.
Wojtaszewski, J.F.P.
Dela, F.
Helge, J.W.
author_sort Vigelsø, A.
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Age and inactivity have been associated with intramuscular triglyceride (IMTG) accumulation. Here, we attempt to disentangle these factors by studying the effect of 2 weeks of unilateral leg immobilization on substrate utilization across the legs during moderate-intensity exercise in young (n = 17; 23 ± 1 years old) and older men (n = 15; 68 ± 1 years old), while the contralateral leg served as the control. After immobilization, the participants performed two-legged isolated knee-extensor exercise at 20±1W(_50% maximalwork capacity) for 45 min with catheters inserted in the brachial artery and both femoral veins.Biopsy samples obtained from vastus lateralis muscles of both legs before and after exercise were used for analysis of substrates, protein content and enzyme activities. During exercise, leg substrate utilization (respiratoryquotient) did not differ between groups or legs. Leg fatty acid uptake was greater in older than in young men, and although young men demonstrated net leg glycerol release during exercise, older men showed net glycerol uptake. At baseline, IMTG, muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity and the protein content of adipose triglyceride lipase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)γ3 were higher in young than in older men. Furthermore, adipose triglyceride lipase, plasma membrane-associated fatty acid binding protein and AMPKγ3 subunit protein contents were lower and IMTG was higher in the immobilized than the contralateral leg in young and older men. Thus, immobilization and age did not affect substrate choice (respiratory quotient) during moderate exercise, but the whole-leg and molecular differences in fatty acid mobilization could explain the age- and immobilization-induced IMTG accumulation.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T19:53:50Z
format Article
id nottingham-43962
institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T19:53:50Z
publishDate 2016
publisher Wiley
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling nottingham-439622020-05-04T17:46:46Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43962/ The effect of age and unilateral leg immobilisation for 2 weeks on substrate ulilisation during moderate-intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle Vigelsø, A. Gram, M. Dybboe, R. Kuhlman, A.B. Prats, C. Greenhaff, Paul L. Constantin-Teodosiu, Dumitru Birk, J.B. Wojtaszewski, J.F.P. Dela, F. Helge, J.W. Age and inactivity have been associated with intramuscular triglyceride (IMTG) accumulation. Here, we attempt to disentangle these factors by studying the effect of 2 weeks of unilateral leg immobilization on substrate utilization across the legs during moderate-intensity exercise in young (n = 17; 23 ± 1 years old) and older men (n = 15; 68 ± 1 years old), while the contralateral leg served as the control. After immobilization, the participants performed two-legged isolated knee-extensor exercise at 20±1W(_50% maximalwork capacity) for 45 min with catheters inserted in the brachial artery and both femoral veins.Biopsy samples obtained from vastus lateralis muscles of both legs before and after exercise were used for analysis of substrates, protein content and enzyme activities. During exercise, leg substrate utilization (respiratoryquotient) did not differ between groups or legs. Leg fatty acid uptake was greater in older than in young men, and although young men demonstrated net leg glycerol release during exercise, older men showed net glycerol uptake. At baseline, IMTG, muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity and the protein content of adipose triglyceride lipase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)γ3 were higher in young than in older men. Furthermore, adipose triglyceride lipase, plasma membrane-associated fatty acid binding protein and AMPKγ3 subunit protein contents were lower and IMTG was higher in the immobilized than the contralateral leg in young and older men. Thus, immobilization and age did not affect substrate choice (respiratory quotient) during moderate exercise, but the whole-leg and molecular differences in fatty acid mobilization could explain the age- and immobilization-induced IMTG accumulation. Wiley 2016-04-14 Article PeerReviewed Vigelsø, A., Gram, M., Dybboe, R., Kuhlman, A.B., Prats, C., Greenhaff, Paul L., Constantin-Teodosiu, Dumitru, Birk, J.B., Wojtaszewski, J.F.P., Dela, F. and Helge, J.W. (2016) The effect of age and unilateral leg immobilisation for 2 weeks on substrate ulilisation during moderate-intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle. Journal of Physiology, 594 (8). pp. 1239-2358. ISSN 1469-7793 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP271712/abstract;jsessionid=7842D7B92CC99F5EE49332C856B15861.f03t03 doi:10.1113/JP271712 doi:10.1113/JP271712
spellingShingle Vigelsø, A.
Gram, M.
Dybboe, R.
Kuhlman, A.B.
Prats, C.
Greenhaff, Paul L.
Constantin-Teodosiu, Dumitru
Birk, J.B.
Wojtaszewski, J.F.P.
Dela, F.
Helge, J.W.
The effect of age and unilateral leg immobilisation for 2 weeks on substrate ulilisation during moderate-intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle
title The effect of age and unilateral leg immobilisation for 2 weeks on substrate ulilisation during moderate-intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle
title_full The effect of age and unilateral leg immobilisation for 2 weeks on substrate ulilisation during moderate-intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle
title_fullStr The effect of age and unilateral leg immobilisation for 2 weeks on substrate ulilisation during moderate-intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle
title_full_unstemmed The effect of age and unilateral leg immobilisation for 2 weeks on substrate ulilisation during moderate-intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle
title_short The effect of age and unilateral leg immobilisation for 2 weeks on substrate ulilisation during moderate-intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle
title_sort effect of age and unilateral leg immobilisation for 2 weeks on substrate ulilisation during moderate-intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43962/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43962/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43962/