title: Regular postexercise cooling enhances mitochondrial biogenesis through AMPK and p38 MAPK in human skeletal muscle.
abstract: This study investigated the effect of regular postexercise cold water immersion (CWI) on muscle aerobic adaptations to endurance training. Eight males performed 3 sessions/wk of endurance training for 4 wk. Following each session, subjects immersed one leg in a cold water bath (10°C; COLD) for 15 min, while the contralateral leg served as a control (CON). Muscle biopsies were obtained from vastus lateralis of both CON and COLD legs prior to training and 48 h following the last training session. Samples were analyzed for signaling kinases: p38 MAPK and AMPK, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), enzyme activities indicative of mitochondrial biogenesis, and protein subunits representative of respiratory chain complexes I-V. Following training, subjects' peak oxygen uptake and running velocity were improved by 5.9% and 6.2%, respectively (P < 0.05). Repeated CWI resulted in higher total AMPK, phosphorylated AMPK, phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase, β-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase and the protein subunits representative of complex I and III (P < 0.05). Moreover, large effect sizes (Cohen's d > 0.8) were noted with changes in protein content of p38 (d = 1.02, P = 0.064), PGC-1α (d = 0.99, P = 0.079), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (d = 0.93, P = 0.10) in COLD compared with CON. No differences between conditions were observed in the representative protein subunits of respiratory complexes II, IV, and V and in the activities of several mitochondrial enzymes (P > 0.05). These findings indicate that regular CWI enhances p38, AMPK, and possibly mitochondrial biogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Sports Physiology Department, Singapore Sports Institute, Singapore; Centre for Exercise and Sport Science Research, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia; Ihsan_Abdullah@sport.gov.sg.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ihsan
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand;
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Markworth
authors.affiliation: School of Human Life Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia; and.
authors.forename: Greig
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Exercise and Sport Science Research, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia; Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors.forename: Hui Cheng
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Choo
authors.affiliation: Centre for Exercise and Sport Science Research, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia;
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6224-0454
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Govus
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand;
authors.forename: Toan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand;
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand;
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cameron-Smith
authors.affiliation: Centre for Exercise and Sport Science Research, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia;
authors.forename: Chris R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Abbiss
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D003080:Cold Temperature; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D063269:Mitochondrial Turnover / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D047493:PPAR alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D047493:PPAR alpha; D047495:PPAR gamma; D014157:Transcription Factors; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase
keywords: PGC-1α; cold water immersion; exercise recovery; muscle oxidative adaptations; nonshivering thermogenesis