In vivo oxidative capacity varies with muscle and training status in young adults

Abstract

It is well established that exercise training results in increased muscle oxidative capacity. Less is known about how oxidative capacities in distinct muscles, in the same individual, are affected by different levels of physical activity. We hypothesized that 1) trained individuals would have higher oxidative capacity than untrained individuals in both tibialis anterior (TA) and vastus lateralis (VL) and 2) oxidative capacity would be higher in TA than VL in untrained, but not in trained, individuals. Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure the rate of phosphocreatine recovery (k(PCr)), which reflects the rate of oxidative phosphorylation, following a maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the TA and VL in healthy untrained (7 women, 7 men, 25.7 +/- 3.6 yr; mean +/- SD) and trained (5 women, 7 men, 27.5 +/- 3.4 yr) adults. Daily physical activity levels were measured using accelerometry. The trained group spent threefold more time ( approximately 90 vs. approximately 30 min/day; P < 0.001) in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Overall, k(PCr) was higher in VL than in TA (P = 0.01) and higher in trained than in untrained participants (P < 0.001). The relationship between k(PCr) and MVPA was more robust in VL (r = 0.64, P = 0.001, n = 25) than in TA (r = 0.38, P = 0.06, n = 25). These results indicate greater oxidative capacity in vivo in trained compared with untrained individuals in two distinct muscles of the lower limb and provide novel evidence of higher oxidative capacity in VL compared with TA in young humans, irrespective of training status. The basis for this difference is not known at this time but likely reflects a difference in usage patterns between the muscles.

Figures

Fig. 1.

Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) spectra from the vastus lateralis of an untrained male subject. Representative stackplot of 31P spectra at rest, during 24-s maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), and 10-min recovery. As expected, during the contraction, PCr fell to 52% of resting level and recovered in a mono-exponential manner. Intracellular pH was 7.09 at the end of the contraction.

Fig. 2.

Changes in PCr during and after brief maximal contractions in tibialis anterior (TA) and vastus lateralis (VL). PCr recovery after both MVICs was faster in trained than in untrained in TA (top) and VL (bottom) (P < 0.001). In both untrained and trained groups, PCr recovery was faster in VL than in TA (P = 0.01). Data are means ± SD.

Fig. 3.

Rate constant of PCr recovery (kPCr) in trained and untrained groups. The trained group had higher kPCr than untrained in both TA and VL (P < 0.001), and kPCr was higher in VL than in TA (P = 0.01). Data are means ± SD.

Fig. 4.

Associations between minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and kPCr. Linear regressions (n = 25) revealed a more robust association between MVPA and kPCr in VL (y = 0.0239 + 0.00022x; P < 0.001; bottom) than in TA (y = 0.0212 + 0.00014x; P = 0.06; top).