Proportion Of Fast-twitch Muscle Fibers Research Articles

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies CDKN1A as a Novel Locus Associated with Muscle Fiber Composition.

Muscle fiber composition is associated with physical performance, with endurance athletes having a high proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers compared to power athletes. Approximately 45% of muscle fiber composition is heritable, however, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) underlying inter-individual differences in muscle fiber types remain largely unknown. Based on three whole genome SNP datasets, we have shown that the rs236448 A allele located near the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A) gene was associated with an increased proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers in Russian (n = 151; p = 0.039), Finnish (n = 287; p = 0.03), and Japanese (n = 207; p = 0.008) cohorts (meta-analysis: p = 7.9 × 10−5. Furthermore, the frequency of the rs236448 A allele was significantly higher in Russian (p = 0.045) and Japanese (p = 0.038) elite endurance athletes compared to ethnically matched power athletes. On the contrary, the C allele was associated with a greater proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers and a predisposition to power sports. CDKN1A participates in cell cycle regulation and is suppressed by the miR-208b, which has a prominent role in the activation of the slow myofiber gene program. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the rs236448 C allele was associated with increased CDKN1A expression in whole blood (p = 8.5 × 10−15) and with greater appendicular lean mass (p = 1.2 × 10−5), whereas the A allele was associated with longer durations of exercise (p = 0.044) reported amongst the UK Biobank cohort. Furthermore, the expression of CDKN1A increased in response to strength (p < 0.0001) or sprint (p = 0.00035) training. Accordingly, we found that CDKN1A expression is significantly (p = 0.002) higher in the m. vastus lateralis of strength athletes compared to endurance athletes and is positively correlated with the percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers (p = 0.018). In conclusion, our data suggest that the CDKN1A rs236448 SNP may be implicated in the determination of muscle fiber composition and may affect athletic performance.

Functional genomics analysis reveals the evolutionary adaptation and demographic history of pygmy lorises

Lorises are a group of globally threatened strepsirrhine primates that exhibit many unusual physiological and behavioral features, including a low metabolic rate, slow movement, and hibernation. Here, we assembled a chromosome-level genome sequence of the pygmy loris (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus) and resequenced whole genomes from 50 pygmy lorises and 6 Bengal slow lorises (Nycticebus bengalensis). We found that many gene families involved in detoxification have been specifically expanded in the pygmy loris, including the GSTA gene family, with many newly derived copies functioning specifically in the liver. We detected many genes displaying evolutionary convergence between pygmy loris and koala, including PITRM1. Significant decreases in PITRM1 enzymatic activity in these two species may have contributed to their characteristic low rate of metabolism. We also detected many evolutionarily convergent genes and positively selected genes in the pygmy loris that are involved in muscle development. Functional assays demonstrated the decreased ability of one positively selected gene, MYOF, to up-regulate the fast-type muscle fiber, consistent with the lower proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers in the pygmy loris. The protein product of another positively selected gene in the pygmy loris, PER2, exhibited weaker binding to the key circadian core protein CRY, a finding that may be related to this species' unusual circadian rhythm. Finally, population genomics analysis revealed that these two extant loris species, which coexist in the same habitat, have exhibited an inverse relationship in terms of their demography over the past 1 million years, implying strong interspecies competition after speciation.

Skeletal Muscle Expression of Actinin-3 (ACTN3) in Relation to Feed Efficiency Phenotype of F2 Bos indicus - Bos taurus Steers.

In this study, actinin-3 (ACTN3) gene expression was investigated in relation to the feed efficiency phenotype in Bos indicus - Bos taurus crossbred steers. A measure of relative feed efficiency based on residual feed intake relative to predictions from the NRC beef cattle model was analyzed by the use of a mixed linear model that included sire and family nested within sire as fixed effects and age, animal type, sex, condition, and breed as random effects for 173 F2 Nellore-Angus steers. Based on these residual intake observations, individuals were ranked from most efficient to least efficient. Skeletal muscle samples were analyzed from 54 steers in three groups of 18 (high efficiency, low efficiency, and a statistically average group). ACTN3, which encodes a muscle-specific structural protein, was previously identified as a candidate gene from a microarray analysis of RNA extracted from muscle samples obtained from a subset of steers from each of these three efficiency groups. The expression of ACTN3 was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR analysis. The expression of ACTN3 in skeletal muscle was 1.6-fold greater in the inefficient steer group than in the efficient group (p = 0.007). In addition to expression measurements, blocks of SNP haplotypes were assessed for breed or parent of origin effects. A maternal effect was observed for ACTN3 inheritance, indicating that a maternal B. indicus block conferred improved residual feed efficiency relative to the B. taurus copy (p = 0.03). A SNP haplotype analysis was also conducted for m-calpain (CAPN2) and fibronectin 1 (FN1), and a significant breed effect was observed for both genes, with B. indicus and B. taurus alleles each conferring favorable efficiency when inherited maternally (p = 0.03 and p = 0.04). Because the ACTN3 structural protein is specific to fast-twitch (type II) muscle fibers and not present in slow-twitch muscle fibers (type I), muscle samples used for expression analysis were also assayed for fiber type ratio (type II/type I). Inefficient animals had a fast fiber type ratio 1.8-fold greater than the efficient animals (p = 0.027). Because these fiber-types exhibit different metabolic profiles, we hypothesize that animals with a greater proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers are also less feed efficient.

Genotype Score for Iron Status Is Associated with Muscle Fiber Composition in Women.

Human muscle fiber composition is heterogeneous and mainly determined by genetic factors. A previous study reported that experimentally induced iron deficiency in rats increases the proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Iron status has been reported to be affected by genetic factors. As the TMPRSS6 rs855791 T/C and HFE rs1799945 C/G polymorphisms are strongly associated with iron status in humans, we hypothesized that the genotype score (GS) based on these polymorphisms could be associated with the muscle fiber composition in humans. Herein, we examined 214 Japanese individuals, comprising of 107 men and 107 women, for possible associations of the GS for iron status with the proportion of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms (I, IIa, and IIx) as markers of muscle fiber composition. No statistically significant correlations were found between the GS for iron status and the proportion of MHC isoforms in all participants. When the participants were stratified based on sex, women showed positive and negative correlations of the GS with MHC-IIa (age-adjusted p = 0.020) and MHC-IIx (age-adjusted p = 0.011), respectively. In contrast, no correlation was found in men. In women, a 1-point increase in the GS was associated with 2.42% higher MHC-IIa level and 2.72% lower MHC-IIx level. Our results suggest that the GS based on the TMPRSS6 rs855791 T/C and HFE rs1799945 C/G polymorphisms for iron status is associated with muscle fiber composition in women.

The BDNF-Increasing Allele is Associated With Increased Proportion of Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers, Handgrip Strength, and Power Athlete Status.

Guilherme, JPLF, Semenova, EA, Borisov, OV, Kostryukova, ES, Vepkhvadze, TF, Lysenko, EA, Andryushchenko, ON, Andryushchenko, LB, Lednev, EM, Larin, AK, Bondareva, EA, Generozov, EV, and Ahmetov, II. The BDNF-increasing allele is associated with increased proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, handgrip strength, and power athlete status. J Strength Cond Res 36(7): 1884-1889, 2022-The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in neurogenesis and formation of regenerated myofibers following injury or damage. A recent study suggested that the BDNF overexpression increases the proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, while the BDNF deletion promotes a fast-to-slow transition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the BDNF gene rs10501089 polymorphism (associated with blood BDNF levels), muscle fiber composition, and power athlete status. Muscle fiber composition was determined in 164 physically active individuals (113 men, 51 women). BDNF genotype and allele frequencies were compared between 508 Russian power athletes, 178 endurance athletes, and 190 controls. We found that carriers of the minor A-allele (the BDNF-increasing allele) had significantly higher percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers than individuals homozygous for the G-allele (males: 64.3 [7.8] vs. 50.3 [15.8]%, p = 0.0015; all subjects: 64.1 ± 7.9 vs. 49.6 ± 14.7%, p = 0.0002). Furthermore, the A-allele was associated (p = 0.036) with greater handgrip strength in a sub-group of physically active subjects (n = 83) and over-represented in power athletes compared with controls (7.7 vs. 2.4%, p = 0.0001). The presence of the A-allele (i.e., AA+AG genotypes) rather than GG genotype increased the odds ratio of being a power athlete compared with controls (odds ratio [OR]: 3.43, p = 0.00071) or endurance athletes (OR: 2.36, p = 0.0081). In conclusion, the rs10501089 A-allele is associated with increased proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers and greater handgrip strength, and these may explain, in part, the association between the AA/AG genotypes and power athlete status.

Torque Production at Different Velocities as a Predictor of the Proportion of Fast-twitch Muscle Fibers in Skeletal Muscles of Athletes

The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility to predict the muscle fiber-type proportion in men of different sports specialization by testing the maximal torque production by knee extensors at different velocities. For this reason the proportion of fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibers (MFs) in m. vastus lateralis of 23 athletes (11 endurance and 12 power athletes), as well the maximal torque production of knee extensors at various angular velocities in isokinetic mode were determined. The group of strength trained athletes significantly exceeded the group of endurance trained athletes in body mass, body mass index, volume of the m. quadriceps femoris, maximum torque production, and specific force at angular velocities 30, 180 and 300 degrees per second. In contrast to cross-sectional area (CSA) of slow-twitch MFs, the average CSA of fast-twitch MFs and the proportion of fast-twitch MFs in the group of power athletes significantly exceeded those in the group of endurance athletes. In the combined group of volunteers (n = 23), the proportion of fast-twitch MFs significantly correlated with the torque production at high angular velocities (r = 0.51 and p = 0.01 at 180 deg/s; r = 0.47 and p = 0.02 at 300 deg/s). We did not find any correlation between these parameters in the separate groups of power and endurance athletes. The results indicate a low accuracy in predicting the proportion of fast-twitch MF in m. vastus lateralis in athletes using the maximal torque production of knee extensors at different angular velocities. Significant correlation between the proportion of fast-twitch MF and maximal torque at high angular velocities in the general group (n = 23) was due to the presence of two significantly different subgroups.

Are Genome-Wide Association Study Identified Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated With Sprint Athletic Status? A Replication Study With 3 Different Cohorts.

To replicate previous genome-wide association study identified sprint-related polymorphisms in 3 different cohorts of top-level sprinters and to further validate the obtained results in functional studies. A total of 240 Japanese, 290 Russians, and 593 Brazilians were evaluated in a case-control approach. Of these, 267 were top-level sprint/power athletes. In addition, the relationship between selected polymorphisms and muscle fiber composition was evaluated in 203 Japanese and 287 Finnish individuals. The G allele of the rs3213537 polymorphism was overrepresented in Japanese (odds ratio [OR]: 2.07, P = .024) and Russian (OR: 1.93, P = .027) sprinters compared with endurance athletes and was associated with an increased proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers in Japanese (P = .02) and Finnish (P = .041) individuals. A meta-analysis of the data from 4 athlete cohorts confirmed that the presence of the G/G genotype rather than the G/A+A/A genotypes increased the OR of being a sprinter compared with controls (OR: 1.49, P = .01), endurance athletes (OR: 1.79, P = .001), or controls + endurance athletes (OR: 1.58, P = .002). Furthermore, male sprinters with the G/G genotype were found to have significantly faster personal times in the 100-m dash than those with G/A+A/A genotypes (10.50 [0.26] vs 10.76 [0.31], P = .014). The rs3213537 polymorphism found in the CPNE5 gene was identified as a highly replicable variant associated with sprinting ability and the increased proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, in which the homozygous genotype for the major allele (ie,the G/G genotype) is preferable for performance.

A Genome-Wide Association Study of Sprint Performance in Elite Youth Football Players

Pickering, C, Suraci, B, Semenova, EA, Boulygina, EA, Kostryukova, ES, Kulemin, NA, Borisov, OV, Khabibova, SA, Larin, AK, Pavlenko, AV, Lyubaeva, EV, Popov, DV, Lysenko, EA, Vepkhvadze, TF, Lednev, EM, Leońska-Duniec, A, Pająk, B, Chycki, J, Moska, W, Lulińska-Kuklik, E, Dornowski, M, Maszczyk, A, Bradley, B, Kana-ah, A, Cięszczyk, P, Generozov, EV, and Ahmetov, II. A genome-wide association study of sprint performance in elite youth football players. J Strength Cond Res 33(9): 2344-2351, 2019-Sprint speed is an important component of football performance, with teams often placing a high value on sprint and acceleration ability. The aim of this study was to undertake the first genome-wide association study to identify genetic variants associated with sprint test performance in elite youth football players and to further validate the obtained results in additional studies. Using micro-array data (600 K-1.14 M single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) of 1,206 subjects, we identified 12 SNPs with suggestive significance after passing replication criteria. The polymorphism rs55743914 located in the PTPRK gene was found as the most significant for 5-m sprint test (p = 7.7 × 10). Seven of the discovered SNPs were also associated with sprint test performance in a cohort of 126 Polish women, and 4 were associated with power athlete status in a cohort of 399 elite Russian athletes. Six SNPs were associated with muscle fiber type in a cohort of 96 Russian subjects. We also examined genotype distributions and possible associations for 16 SNPs previously linked with sprint performance. Four SNPs (AGT rs699, HSD17B14 rs7247312, IGF2 rs680, and IL6 rs1800795) were associated with sprint test performance in this cohort. In addition, the G alleles of 2 SNPs in ADRB2 (rs1042713 & rs1042714) were significantly over-represented in these players compared with British and European controls. These results suggest that there is a genetic influence on sprint test performance in footballers, and identifies some of the genetic variants that help explain this influence.

Difference in aftereffects following prolonged Achilles tendon vibration on muscle activity during maximal voluntary contraction among plantar flexor synergists

It has been suggested that a suppression of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) induced by prolonged vibration is due to an attenuation of Ia afferent activity. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that aftereffects following prolonged vibration on muscle activity during MVC differ among plantar flexor synergists owing to a supposed difference in muscle fiber composition. The plantar flexion MVC torque and surface electromyogram (EMG) of the medial head of gastrocnemius (MG), the lateral head of gastrocnemius (LG), and the soleus (Sol) were recorded in 13 subjects before and after prolonged vibration applied to the Achilles tendon at 100 Hz for 30 min. The maximal H reflexes and M waves were also determined from the three muscles, and the ratio between H reflexes and M waves (H/Mmax) was calculated before and after the vibration. The MVC torque was decreased by 16.6 +/- 3.7% after the vibration (P < 0.05; ANOVA). The H/Mmax also decreased for all three muscles, indicating that Ia afferent activity was successfully attenuated by the vibration in all plantar flexors. However, a reduction of EMG during MVC was observed only in MG (12.7 +/- 4.0%) and LG (11.4 +/- 3.9%) (P < 0.05; ANOVA), not in Sol (3.4 +/- 3.0%). These results demonstrated that prolonged vibration-induced MVC suppression was attributable mainly to the reduction of muscle activity in MG and LG, both of which have a larger proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers than Sol. This finding suggests that Ia-afferent activity that reinforces the recruitment of high-threshold motor units is necessary to enhance force exertion during MVC.

Whole-body energy metabolism and skeletal muscle biochemical characteristics

A low metabolic rate for a given body size and low fat versus carbohydrate oxidation ratio are known risk factors for body weight gain, but the underlying biological mechanisms are poorly understood. Twenty-four-hour energy expenditure (24EE), sleeping metabolic rate (SMR), 24-hour respiratory quotient (24RQ), and forearm oxygen uptake were compared with respect to the proportion of skeletal muscle fiber types and the enzyme activities of the vastus lateralis in 14 subjects (seven men and seven women aged 30 ± 6 years [mean ± SD], 79.1 ± 17.3 kg, 22% ± 7% body fat). The following enzymes were chosen to represent the major energy-generating pathways: lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and phosphofructokinase (PFK) for glycolysis; citrate synthase (CS) and β-hydroxyacl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (β-OAC) for oxidation; and creatine kinase (CK) and adenylokinase (AK) for high-energy phosphate metabolism. Forearm resting oxygen uptake adjusted for muscle size correlated positively with the proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers (IIa: r = .55, P = .04; IIb: r = .51, P = .06) and inversely with the proportion of slow oxidative fibers (I: r = −.77, P = .001). 24EE and SMR adjusted for differences in fat-free mass, fat mass, sex, and age correlated with PFK activity ( r = .56, P = .04 and r = .69, P = .007, respectively). 24RQ correlated negatively with β-OAC activity ( r = −.75, P = .002). Our findings suggest that differences in muscle biochemistry account for part of the interindividual variability in muscle oxygen uptake and whole-body energy metabolism, ie, metabolic rate and substrate oxidation.

Contractile properties and temperature sensitivity of the extraocular muscles, the levator and superior rectus, of the rabbit.

1. Contractile and fatigue-resistance characteristics, temperature sensitivity (10-37 degrees C) of contraction, and histochemical fibre types were determined for two of the extraocular muscles, the superior rectus and levator palpebrae superioris (levator), of the rabbit. 2. The levator displayed similar contractile characteristics (time to peak, half-relaxation time of twitch response, and twitch-tetanus force ratio) to mammalian fast-twitch limb muscle at room temperature (20 degrees C). However, normalized twitch and tetanic force levels were significantly less than those found in limb muscle. The superior rectus displayed the characteristics of even faster contraction than the levator at 20 degrees C, but generated lower maximum force levels than the levator. 3. The twitch response of the superior rectus showed a biphasic relaxation phase. This response was not due to non-twitch (tonic) fibres present in the superior rectus as it was unaffected by propranolol application during muscle stimulation. 4. The superior rectus and levator displayed significantly less fatigue in the tetanic force response than fast-twitch limb muscles did in response to a fatiguing electrical stimulation protocol. The levator was significantly more fatigue resistant than the superior rectus. 5. The force responses of both extraocular muscles displayed a similar dependence on temperature (10-37 degrees C) to limb skeletal muscles. 6. The superior rectus and levator exhibited a high proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibres (type II) as shown by myosin ATPase staining. Succinate dehydrogenase activity indicated that these muscles showed a high oxidative capacity, with a staining intensity typical of type I or type II A fibres of limb muscles. 7. The results emphasize the morphological and functional complexity of mammalian extraocular muscles. The combination of very fast contractile properties with high oxidative capacity make these muscles well suited to their role in eye/eyelid movement.

Glycogenesis and glyconeogenesis in skeletal muscle: effects of pH and hormones

We examined the effects of selected hormones and pH on the rates of glyconeogenesis (L-[U-14C]-lactate----glycogen) and glycogenesis (D-[U-14C]glucose----glycogen) in mouse fast-twitch (FT) and slow-twitch muscles incubated in vitro (37 degrees C). Glyconeogenesis and glycogenesis increased linearly with increasing concentrations of lactate (5-20 mM) and glucose (2.5-10 mM), respectively, in both muscles. Glyconeogenesis was approximately three- to fourfold greater in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) than in the soleus, whereas basal glycogenesis was twofold greater in the soleus muscle than in the EDL. Lactate accounted for up to 5% of the glycogen formed in the soleus and up to 32% in the EDL relative to the rates of glycogenesis (i.e., 5 mM glucose + 10 nM insulin) in each muscle. Corticosterone (10(-12)-10(-6) M) failed to alter glyconeogenesis, whereas this hormone reduced glycogenesis. Insulin (10 nM) markedly stimulated glycogenesis but failed to stimulate glyconeogenesis. The rates of both glycogenesis and glyconeogenesis were pH sensitive, with optimal rates at pH 6.5-7.0 in both muscles. Glyconeogenesis increased by 49% in the soleus and by 39% EDL at pH 6.5 compared with pH 7.4. Glycogenesis increased in the soleus (SOL) and EDL in the absence (SOL: +22%; EDL: +52%) and presence of insulin (SOL: +22%; EDL: +51%) at pH 6.5 when compared with pH 7.4. In additional experiments with the perfused rat hindquarter, rates of glyconeogenesis were shown to be highly correlated with proportion of FT muscle fibers in a muscle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

EMG frequency spectrum, muscle structure, and fatigue during dynamic contractions in man

Fatigue of the vastus lateralis muscle was studied in healthy well-conditioned students, who differed considerable regarding their muscle fibre type distribution. Muscle force decline during repeated maximum voluntary knee extensions at a constant angular velocity (180 degree X s-1 or rad X s-1), using isokinetic equipment, was taken as the criterion for the degree of fatigue. In an attempt to study quantitative as well as qualitative changes in the EMG pattern, integrated EMG (IEMG) and the frequency of the mean power (MPF), computed from the power spectral density function (PSDF), were analysed. It was found that individuals with muscles made up of a high proportion of fast twitch (FT) muscle fibres demonstrated higher peak knee extension torque, and a greater susceptibility to fatigue than did individuals with muscles mainly composed of slow twitch (ST) muscle fibres. An IEMG decline (p less than 0.01) was demonstrated during 100 contractions in individuals rich in FT fibres. Only a slight, but not significant, reduction in IEMG occurred in individuals with high percentage of ST fibres. Concomitantly, MPF decreased (p less than 0.001) in individuals with a high percentage of FT fibres, while their opposites demonstrated only a slight decrease (non-significant). It is suggested that muscle conctraction failure might also be related to qualitative changes in the motor unit recruitment pattern, and that these changes occur more rapidly in muscles composed of a high proportion of FT muscle fibres than in muscles composed to a high proportion of ST fibres.