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Scientific reports2021; 11(1); 11261; doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-90834-y

Metabolomic analysis of skeletal muscle before and after strenuous exercise to fatigue.

Abstract: Thoroughbreds have high maximal oxygen consumption and show hypoxemia and hypercapnia during intense exercise, suggesting that the peripheral environment in skeletal muscle may be severe. Changes in metabolites following extreme alterations in the muscle environment in horses after exercise may provide useful evidence. We compared the muscle metabolites before and after supramaximal exercise to fatigue in horses. Six well-trained horses ran until exhaustion in incremental exercise tests. Biopsy samples were obtained from the gluteus medius muscle before and immediately after exercise for capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry analysis. In the incremental exercise test, the total running time and speed of the last step were 10.4 ± 1.3 (mean ± standard deviation) min and 12.7 ± 0.5 m/s, respectively. Of 73 metabolites, 18 and 11 were significantly increased and decreased after exercise, respectively. The heat map of the hierarchical cluster analysis of muscle metabolites showed that changes in metabolites were clearly distinguishable before and after exercise. Strenuous exercise increased many metabolites in the glycolytic pathway and the tricarboxylic acid cycle in skeletal muscle. Targeted metabolomic analysis of skeletal muscle may clarify the intramuscular environment caused by exercise and explain the response of working muscles to strenuous exercise that induces hypoxemia and hypercapnia in Thoroughbred horses.
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Publication Date: 2021-05-27 PubMed ID: 34045613PubMed Central: PMC8160181DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90834-yGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study investigates the changes in metabolites in the muscles of well-trained horses before and after intense exercise to understand the physiological responses and adaptations.

Objective and Method

The aim of this research was to understand the impact of strenuous exercise on the skeletal muscle metabolites in Thoroughbred horses. This was carried out by comparing the muscle metabolites directly before and after supramaximal exercise until exhaustion. Muscle biopsies were taken from six horses from the gluteus medius muscle before and immediately after exercise. The results were analyzed using a technique called capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry, which separates and identifies different compounds based on their characteristics.

Findings

  • The average total running time and speed of their last step were approximately 10.4 minutes and 12.7 m/s, respectively.
  • Out of 73 identified metabolites, 18 increased and 11 decreased significantly after exercise.
  • These changes in metabolites were distinct before and after exercise, as shown through a heat map and hierarchical cluster analysis.
  • The strenuous exercise resulted in an increase in many metabolites, notably those involved in the glycolytic pathway (which breaks down glucose for energy) and the tricarboxylic acid, or Krebs, cycle (responsible for aerobic cellular respiration).

Conclusions and Implications

This study found that intense exercise clearly impacts metabolites in Thoroughbred horses. This analysis of muscle metabolites could clarify the intramuscular environment caused by exercise, helping to explain how working muscles respond to strenuous exercise, and why horses experienced hypoxemia (abnormally low levels of oxygen in the blood) and hypercapnia (excessive carbon dioxide in the bloodstream) during intense exercise. This kind of research could improve our understanding of equine physiology, potentially informing training methods and veterinary care.

Cite This Article

APA
Ohmura H, Mukai K, Takahashi Y, Takahashi T. (2021). Metabolomic analysis of skeletal muscle before and after strenuous exercise to fatigue. Sci Rep, 11(1), 11261. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90834-y

Publication

Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
NlmUniqueID: 101563288
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 1
Pages: 11261
PII: 11261

Researcher Affiliations

Ohmura, Hajime
  • Sports Science Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan. hajime@equinst.go.jp.
Mukai, Kazutaka
  • Sports Science Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.
Takahashi, Yuji
  • Sports Science Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.
Takahashi, Toshiyuki
  • Sports Science Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Metabolomics
  • Muscle Fatigue / physiology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Oxygen Consumption / physiology
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
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