title: Oxidative capacity and glycogen content increase more in arm than leg muscle in sedentary women after intense training.
abstract: The hypothesis that the adaptive capacity is higher in human upper- than lower-body skeletal muscle was tested. Furthermore, the hypothesis that more pronounced adaptations in upper-body musculature can be achieved by "low-volume high-intensity" compared with "high-volume low-intensity" exercise training was evaluated. A group of sedentary premenopausal women aged 45 ± 6 yr (± SD) with expected high adaptive potential in both upper- and lower-extremity muscle groups participated. After random allocation to high-intensity swimming (HIS, n = 21), moderate-intensity swimming (MOS, n = 21), soccer (SOC, n = 21) or a nontraining control group (CON, n = 20), the training groups completed three workouts per week for 15 wk. Resting muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle and deltoideus muscle before and after the intervention. After the training intervention, a larger (P < 0.05) increase existed in deltoideus muscle of the HIS group compared with vastus lateralis muscle of the SOC group for citrate synthase maximal activity (95 ± 89 vs. 27 ± 34%), citrate synthase protein expression (100 ± 29 vs. 31 ± 44%), 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase maximal activity (35 ± 43 vs. 3 ± 25%), muscle glycogen content (63 ± 76 vs. 20 ± 51%), and expression of mitochondrial complex II, III, and IV. Additionally, HIS caused higher (P < 0.05) increases than MOS in deltoideus muscle citrate synthase maximal activity, citrate synthase protein expression, and muscle glycogen content. In conclusion, the deltoideus muscle has a higher adaptive potential than the vastus lateralis muscle in sedentary women, and "high-intensity low-volume" training is a more efficient regime than "low-intensity high-volume" training for increasing the aerobic capacity of the deltoideus muscle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Human Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark;
authors.forename: Nikolai B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Nordsborg
authors.affiliation: Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands;
authors.forename: Pál
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weihe
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Molise, Italy;
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iuliano
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Human Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krustrup
authors.affiliation: Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshopsitalet and University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark;
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saltin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Natural and Health Sciences, University of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; and Center of Health and Human Performance, Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden magnim@setur.fo.
authors.forename: Magni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohr
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology*; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D045222:Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008931:Mitochondria, Muscle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D045222:Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins; D006003:Glycogen; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase
keywords: health; lean body mass; metabolism; mitochondria; performance; soccer; swimming