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

Abstract

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.

Keywords

Blood flow restriction / Occlusion / Skeletal muscle / High intensity resistance training / microRNA

References

[[1]] C. Laurens, A. Bergouignan, C. Moro.Exercise-released myokines in the control of energy metabolism. Front Physiol, 11 ( 2020), p. 91, DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00091

[[2]] Z. Radák. Chapter 3 - Adaptation, Phenotypic Adaptation, Fatigue, and Overtraining. The Physiology of Physical Training. Academic Press ( 2018), pp. 33-54

[[3]] L. Holm, S. Reitelseder, T.G. Pedersen, et al.. Changes in muscle size and MHC composition in response to resistance exercise with heavy and light loading intensity. J Appl Physiol, 105 (5) ( 1985), pp. 1454-1461, DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.90538.2008. Nov 2008

[[4]] A.R. Konopka, M.P. Harber. Skeletal muscle hypertrophy after aerobic exercise training. Exerc Sport Sci Rev, 42 (2) ( 2014), pp. 53-61, DOI: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000007

[[5]] S. Joanisse, C. Lim, J. McKendry, J.C. Mcleod, T. Stokes, S.M. Phillips. Recent Advances in Understanding Resistance Exercise Training-Induced Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy in Humans. F1000Res, vol. 9 ( 2020), DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.21588.1

[[6]] C. Centner, B. Lauber.A systematic review and meta-analysis on neural adaptations following blood flow restriction training: what we know and what we don't know. Front Physiol, 11 ( 2020), p. 887, DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00887

[[7]] J.M. Wilson, R.P. Lowery, J.M. Joy, J.P. Loenneke, M.A. Naimo. Practical blood flow restriction training increases acute determinants of hypertrophy without increasing indices of muscle damage. J Strength Condit Res, 27 (11) ( 2013), pp. 3068-3075, DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31828a1ffa

[[8]] M.F. Formiga, R. Fay, S. Hutchinson, et al.. Effect of aerobic exercise training with and without blood flow restriction on aerobic capacity in healthy young adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Int J Sports Phys Ther. Apr, 15 (2) ( 2020), pp. 175-187

[[9]] M.E. Lixandrão, C. Ugrinowitsch, R. Berton, et al.. Magnitude of muscle strength and mass adaptations between high-load resistance training versus low-load resistance training associated with blood-flow restriction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. Feb, 48 (2) ( 2018), pp. 361-378, DOI: 10.1007/s40279-017-0795-y

[[10]] A.K. May, C.R. Brandner, S.A. Warmington. Hemodynamic responses are reduced with aerobic compared with resistance blood flow restriction exercise. Phys Rep, 5 (3) ( 2017), DOI: 10.14814/phy2.13142

[[11]] L.M. Rossow, C.A. Fahs, V.D. Sherk, D.I. Seo, D.A. Bemben, M.G. Bemben. The effect of acute blood-flow-restricted resistance exercise on postexercise blood pressure. Clin Physiol Funct Imag, 31 (6) ( 2011), pp. 429-434, DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-097X.2011.01038.x

[[12]] F. Torma, Z. Gombos, M. Fridvalszki, et al.. Blood flow restriction in human skeletal muscle during rest periods after high-load resistance training down-regulates miR 206 and induces Pax7. J Sport Health Sci ( 2019), DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2019.08.004

[[13]] C.R. Hart, G. Layec, J.D. Trinity, et al.. Increased skeletal muscle mitochondrial free radical production in peripheral arterial disease despite preserved mitochondrial respiratory capacity. Exp Physiol, 103 (6) ( 2018), pp. 838-850, DOI: 10.1113/EP086905. 06

[[14]] F. Torma, Z. Gombos, M. Jokai, et al.. The roles of microRNA in redox metabolism and exercise-mediated adaptation. J Sport Health Sci, 9 (5) ( 2020), pp. 405-414, DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2020.03.004. 09

[[15]] T.R. Baechle, R.W. Earle, National Strength & Conditioning Association ( U.S.).Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. (third ed.), Human Kinetics ( 2008). xiv, 641 p

[[16]] B.C. Clark, T.M. Manini, R.L. Hoffman, et al.. Relative safety of 4 weeks of blood flow-restricted resistance exercise in young, healthy adults. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 21 (5) ( 2011), pp. 653-662, DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01100.x

[[17]] R.F. D'Souza, J.F. Markworth, K.M.M. Aasen, N. Zeng, D. Cameron-Smith, C.J. Mitchell. Acute resistance exercise modulates microRNA expression profiles: combined tissue and circulatory targeted analyses. PLoS One, 12 (7) ( 2017), Article e0181594, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181594

[[18]] S. Sawada, M. Kon, S. Wada, T. Ushida, K. Suzuki, T. Akimoto. Profiling of circulating microRNAs after a bout of acute resistance exercise in humans. PLoS One, 8 (7) ( 2013), Article e70823, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070823

[[19]] J.P. Loenneke, J.M. Wilson, P.J. Marín, M.C. Zourdos, M.G. Bemben. Low intensity blood flow restriction training: a meta-analysis. Eur J Appl Physiol, 112 (5) ( 2012), pp. 1849-1859, DOI: 10.1007/s00421-011-2167-x

[[20]] H.J. Peltier, G.J. Latham. Normalization of microRNA expression levels in quantitative RT-PCR assays: identification of suitable reference RNA targets in normal and cancerous human solid tissues. RNA, 14 (5) ( 2008), pp. 844-852, DOI: 10.1261/rna.939908

[[21]] M.T. Curran, A. Bedi, C.L. Mendias, E.M. Wojtys, M.V. Kujawa, R.M. Palmieri-Smith. Blood flow restriction training applied with high-intensity exercise does not improve quadriceps muscle function after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Sports Med, 48 (4) ( 2020), pp. 825-837, DOI: 10.1177/0363546520904008. 03

[[22]] F.M. Cernilogar, M.C. Onorati, G.O. Kothe, et al.. Chromatin-associated RNA interference components contribute to transcriptional regulation in Drosophila. Nature, 480 (7377) ( 2011), pp. 391-395, DOI: 10.1038/nature10492

[[23]] X. Zhang, X. Zuo, B. Yang, et al.. MicroRNA directly enhances mitochondrial translation during muscle differentiation. Cell, 158 (3) ( 2014), pp. 607-619, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.05.047

[[24]] M.J. Drummond, J.J. McCarthy, C.S. Fry, K.A. Esser, B.B. Rasmussen. Aging differentially affects human skeletal muscle microRNA expression at rest and after an anabolic stimulus of resistance exercise and essential amino acids. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 295 (6) ( 2008), pp. E1333-E1340, DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.90562.2008

[[25]] E. Koltai, Z. Bori, C. Chabert, et al.. SIRT 1 may play a crucial role in overload-induced hypertrophy of skeletal muscle. J Physiol, 595 (11) ( 2017), pp. 3361-3376, DOI: 10.1113/JP273774. 06

[[26]] N. Liu, S. Bezprozvannaya, J.M. Shelton, et al.. Mice lacking microRNA 133a develop dynamin 2-dependent centronuclear myopathy. J Clin Invest, 121 (8) ( 2011), pp. 3258-3268, DOI: 10.1172/JCI46267

[[27]] S. Nielsen, C. Scheele, C. Yfanti, et al.. Muscle specific microRNAs are regulated by endurance exercise in human skeletal muscle. J Physiol, 588 (Pt 20) ( 2010), pp. 4029-4037, DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.189860

[[28]] Y. Nie, Y. Sato, C. Wang, F. Yue, S. Kuang, T.P. Gavin. Impaired exercise tolerance, mitochondrial biogenesis, and muscle fiber maintenance in miR-133a-deficient mice. Faseb J, 11 (11) ( 2016), pp. 3745-3758, DOI: 10.1096/fj.201600529R. 30

[[29]] D. Baek, J. Villén, C. Shin, F.D. Camargo, S.P. Gygi, D.P. Bartel. The impact of microRNAs on protein output. Nature, 455 (7209) ( 2008), pp. 64-71, DOI: 10.1038/nature07242