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The biphasic activity of autophagy and heat shock protein response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells following acute resistance exercise in resistance-trained males

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Kurt A. Escobar at California State University, Long Beach
Kurt A. Escobar
Trisha A. VanDusseldorp
Trisha A. VanDusseldorp
Trisha A. VanDusseldorp
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Kelly Johnson at Coastal Carolina University
Kelly Johnson
Matthew Stratton at Texas Tech University
Matthew Stratton
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Purpose Autophagy and heat shock protein (HSP) response are proteostatic systems involved in the acute and adaptive responses to exercise. These systems may upregulate sequentially following cellular stress including acute exercise, however, currently few data exist in humans. This study investigated the autophagic and HSP responses to acute intense lower body resistance exercise in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with and without branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) supplementation. Methods Twenty resistance-trained males (22.3 ± 1.5 yr; 175.4 ± .7 cm; 86.4 ± 15.6 kg) performed a bout of intense lower body resistance exercise and markers of autophagy and HSP70 were measured immediately post- (IPE) and 2, 4, 24, 48, and 72 h post-exercise. Prior to resistance exercise, 10 subjects were randomly assigned to BCAA supplementation of 0.22 g/kg/d for 5 days pre-exercise and up to 72 h following exercise while the other 10 subjects consumed a placebo (PLCB). Results There were no difference in autophagy markers or HSP70 expression between BCAA and PLCB groups. LC3II protein expression was significantly lower 2 and 4 h post-exercise compared to pre-exercise. LC3II: I ratio was not different at any time point compared to pre-exercise. Protein expression of p62 was lower IPE, 2, and 4 h post-exercise and elevated 24 h post-exercise. HSP70 expression was elevated 48 and 72 h post-exercise. Conclusions Autophagy and HSP70 are upregulated in PBMCs following intense resistance exercise with autophagy increasing initially post-exercise and HSP response in the latter period. Moreover, BCAA supplementation did not affect this response. Graphical Abstract
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Vol.:(0123456789)
European Journal of Applied Physiology (2024) 124:2981–2992
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-024-05503-5
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The biphasic activity ofautophagy andheat shock protein response
inperipheral blood mononuclear cells followingacute resistance
exercise inresistance‑trained males
KurtA.Escobar1 · TrishaA.VanDusseldorp2,3· KellyE.Johnson4· MatthewStratton5· JamesJ.McCormick6·
TerenceMoriarity7· KarolDokladny9· RogerA.Vaughan10· ChadM.Kerksick11· LenKravitz8· ChristineM.Mermier8
Received: 9 January 2024 / Accepted: 25 April 2024 / Published online: 21 May 2024
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024, corrected publication 2024
Abstract
Purpose Autophagy and heat shock protein (HSP) response are proteostatic systems involved in the acute and adaptive
responses to exercise. These systems may upregulate sequentially following cellular stress including acute exercise, however,
currently few data exist in humans. This study investigated the autophagic and HSP responses to acute intense lower body
resistance exercise in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with and without branched-chain amino acids (BCAA)
supplementation.
Methods Twenty resistance-trained males (22.3 ± 1.5yr; 175.4 ± .7cm; 86.4 ± 15.6kg) performed a bout of intense lower
body resistance exercise and markers of autophagy and HSP70 were measured immediately post- (IPE) and 2, 4, 24, 48, and
72h post-exercise. Prior to resistance exercise, 10 subjects were randomly assigned to BCAA supplementation of 0.22g/
kg/d for 5days pre-exercise and up to 72h following exercise while the other 10 subjects consumed a placebo (PLCB).
Results There were no difference in autophagy markers or HSP70 expression between BCAA and PLCB groups. LC3II
protein expression was significantly lower 2 and 4h post-exercise compared to pre-exercise. LC3II: I ratio was not different
at any time point compared to pre-exercise. Protein expression of p62 was lower IPE, 2, and 4h post-exercise and elevated
24h post-exercise. HSP70 expression was elevated 48 and 72h post-exercise.
Conclusions Autophagy and HSP70 are upregulated in PBMCs following intense resistance exercise with autophagy increas-
ing initially post-exercise and HSP response in the latter period. Moreover, BCAA supplementation did not affect this
response.
Communicated by William J. Kraemer.
* Kurt A. Escobar
kurt.escobar@csulb.edu
1 Physiology ofSport andExercise Lab, Department
ofKinesiology, California State University, Long Beach,
LongBeach, CA, USA
2 Bonafide Health, LLC p/b JDS Therapeutics, Harrison, NY,
USA
3 Department ofHealth andExercise Sciences, Jacksonville
University, Jacksonville, FL, USA
4 Department ofKinesiology, Coastal Carolina University,
Conway, SC, USA
5 Department ofHealth, Kinesiology, andSport, University
ofSouth Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
6 Human andEnvironmental Physiology Research Unit, School
ofHuman Kinetics, University ofOttawa, Ottawa, Canada
7 Department ofKinesiology, University ofNorthern Iowa,
CedarFalls, USA
8 Department ofHealth, Exercise, andSport Science,
University ofNew Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
9 Department ofInternal Medicine, Health Sciences Center,
University ofNew Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
10 Department ofExercise Science, Congdon School ofHealth
Sciences, High Point University, HighPoint, NC, USA
11 Exercise andPerformance Nutrition Laboratory, College
ofScience, Technology, andHealth, Lindenwood University,
St.Charles, MO, USA
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
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