Exercise training reduces the insulin‐sensitizing effect of a single bout of exercise in human skeletal muscle

• Published in: The Journal of physiology Vol. 597; no. 1; pp. 89 - 103
• Main Authors: Steenberg, Dorte E., Jørgensen, Nichlas B., Birk, Jesper B., Sjøberg, Kim A., Kiens, Bente, Richter, Erik A., Wojtaszewski, Jørgen F.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2019; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Adaptation; Adult; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; AMP‐activated protein kinase; Bicycling - physiology; Blood Glucose; Exercise; Exercise - physiology; Fitness training programs; Glucose; Glucose - metabolism; glucose uptake; Glycogen - metabolism; Glycogen Synthase - metabolism; Humans; Insulin; Insulin Resistance - physiology; Knee; Male; Mitochondria; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Musculoskeletal system; Protein Subunits - metabolism; Research Paper; Rodents; Skeletal muscle; TBC1D4; Young Adult; TBC1D4; glucose uptake; AMP-activated protein kinase
• ISSN: 0022-3751; 1469-7793; 1469-7793
• DOI: 10.1113/JP276735

Key points A single bout of exercise is capable of increasing insulin sensitivity in human skeletal muscle. Whether this ability is affected by training status is not clear. Studies in mice suggest that the AMPK‐TBC1D4 signalling axis is important for the increased insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake after a single bout of exercise. The present study is the first longitudinal intervention study to show that, although exercise training increases insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle at rest, it diminishes the ability of a single bout of exercise to enhance muscle insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake. The present study provides novel data indicating that AMPK in human skeletal muscle is important for the insulin‐sensitizing effect of a single bout of exercise. Not only chronic exercise training, but also a single bout of exercise, increases insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. However, it is not well described how adaptations to exercise training affect the ability of a single bout of exercise to increase insulin sensitivity. Rodent studies suggest that the insulin‐sensitizing effect of a single bout of exercise is AMPK‐dependent (presumably via the α2β2γ3 AMPK complex). Whether this is also the case in humans is unknown. Previous studies have shown that exercise training decreases the expression of the α2β2γ3 AMPK complex and diminishes the activation of this complex during exercise. Thus, we hypothesized that exercise training diminishes the ability of a single bout of exercise to enhance muscle insulin sensitivity. We investigated nine healthy male subjects who performed one‐legged knee‐extensor exercise at the same relative intensity before and after 12 weeks of exercise training. Training increased V̇O2 peak and expression of mitochondrial proteins in muscle, whereas the expression of AMPKγ3 was decreased. Training also increased whole body and muscle insulin sensitivity. Interestingly, insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake in the acutely exercised leg was not enhanced further by training. Thus, the increase in insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake following a single bout of one‐legged exercise was lower in the trained vs. untrained state. This was associated with reduced signalling via confirmed α2β2γ3 AMPK downstream targets (ACC and TBC1D4). These results suggest that the insulin‐sensitizing effect of a single bout of exercise is also AMPK‐dependent in human skeletal muscle. Key points A single bout of exercise is capable of increasing insulin sensitivity in human skeletal muscle. Whether this ability is affected by training status is not clear. Studies in mice suggest that the AMPK‐TBC1D4 signalling axis is important for the increased insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake after a single bout of exercise. The present study is the first longitudinal intervention study to show that, although exercise training increases insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle at rest, it diminishes the ability of a single bout of exercise to enhance muscle insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake. The present study provides novel data indicating that AMPK in human skeletal muscle is important for the insulin‐sensitizing effect of a single bout of exercise.