Resistance training preserves high-intensity interval training induced improvements in skeletal muscle capillarization of healthy old men: a randomized controlled trial

Aurel B Leuchtmann,Marco Toigo,Jens A Petersen,Hans H Jung,Martin Flück,David Aguayo,Maria Ligon-Auer,Sandro Manuel Mueller

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-63490-x

Aurel B Leuchtmann, Marco Toigo + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-63490-x

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Skeletal muscle capillarization is a determining factor in gas and metabolite exchange, while its impairments may contribute to the development of sarcopenia. Studies on the potential of resistance training (RT) to induce angiogenesis in older muscles have been inconclusive, and effects of sequential endurance training (ET) and RT on capillarization are unknown. Healthy older men (66.5 ± 3.8 years) were engaged in either 12 weeks of habitual course observation (HC) followed by 12 weeks of RT (n = 8), or 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) followed by 12 weeks of RT (n = 9). At baseline, following 12 and 24 weeks, m. vastus lateralis biopsies were obtained. (Immuno-)histochemistry was used to assess indices of muscle fiber capillarization, muscle fiber morphology and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity. Single periods of RT and HIIT resulted in similar improvements in capillarization and SDH activity. During RT following HIIT, improved capillarization and SDH activity, as well as muscle fiber morphology remained unchanged. The applied RT and HIIT protocols were thus similarly effective in enhancing capillarization and oxidative enzyme activity and RT effectively preserved HIIT-induced adaptations of these parameters. Hence, both, RT and HIIT, are valid training modalities for older men to improve skeletal muscle vascularization.

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Skeletal muscle capillarization is a determining factor in gas and metabolite exchange, while its impairments may contribute to the development of sarcopenia
We found that single periods of exclusive resistance training (RT) or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) caused a similar increase of determinants for capillarization and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity in older men
The HIIT→RT group had a markedly lower baseline value for the capillary-to-fiber perimeter exchange index compared to the habitual course observation (HC)→RT group, and even the significant increase in the capillary-to-fiber perimeter exchange index during HIIT was not sufficient to reach the values of the HC→RT group

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Skeletal muscle capillarization is a determining factor in gas and metabolite exchange, while its impairments may contribute to the development of sarcopenia. Enhanced capillarization ameliorates gas and metabolite exchange between blood and muscle tissue, resulting in improved peak oxygen uptake (V O2peak) and oxidative capacity[6,7] Likewise, it has been proposed, that increased blood flow to muscles is required to support muscle fiber hypertrophy and satellite cell activation in older adults by facilitating the delivery of nutrients, cytokines and growth factors[8,9]. The increased capillary-to-fiber ratio and number of capillary contacts after 9 weeks of RT could not be further increased by the following 9 weeks of ET These findings indicate that the two distinct and sequentially applied exercise modalities do not differ in their potential to increase capillarization indices in older adults. The reverse sequence, in which a period of ET precedes a period of RT, has not been investigated so far

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