title: Passive and post-exercise cold-water immersion augments PGC-1α and VEGF expression in human skeletal muscle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We tested the hypothesis that both post-exercise and passive cold water immersion (CWI) increases PGC-1α and VEGF mRNA expression in human skeletal muscle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study 1 Nine males completed an intermittent running protocol (8 × 3-min bouts at 90 % [Formula: see text], interspersed with 3-min active recovery (1.5-min at 25 % and 1.5-min at 50 % [Formula: see text]) before undergoing CWI (10 min at 8 °C) or seated rest (CONT) in a counterbalanced, randomised manner. Study 2 Ten males underwent an identical CWI protocol under passive conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study 1 PGC-1α mRNA increased in CONT (~3.4-fold; P < 0.001) and CWI (~5.9-fold; P < 0.001) at 3 h post-exercise with a greater increase observed in CWI (P < 0.001). VEGFtotal mRNA increased after CWI only (~2.4-fold) compared with CONT (~1.1-fold) at 3 h post-exercise (P < 0.01). Study 2 Following CWI, PGC-1α mRNA expression was significantly increased ~1.3-fold (P = 0.001) and 1.4-fold (P = 0.0004) at 3 and 6 h, respectively. Similarly, VEGF165 mRNA was significantly increased in CWI ~1.9-fold (P = 0.03) and 2.2-fold (P = 0.009) at 3 and 6 h post-immersion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data confirm post-exercise CWI augments the acute exercise-induced expression of PGC-1α mRNA in human skeletal muscle compared to exercise per se. Additionally CWI per se mediates the activation of PGC-1α and VEGF mRNA expression in human skeletal muscle. Cold water may therefore enhance the adaptive response to acute exercise.
authors.affiliation: Football Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St Campus, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.|Honam University, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.affiliation: Football Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St Campus, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.affiliation: Football Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St Campus, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drust
authors.affiliation: Football Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St Campus, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Close
authors.affiliation: Football Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St Campus, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living, College of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.affiliation: Football Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St Campus, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mawhinney
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom St Campus, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Louhelainen
authors.affiliation: Football Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St Campus, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.affiliation: Football Exchange, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St Campus, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK. W.Gregson@ljmu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gregson
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D003080:Cold Temperature; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D007101:Immersion; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D000071248:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C486497:PPARGC1A protein, human; D000071248:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: CWI; PGC-1α; VEGF