Combined effect of exercise training and allulose intake on endurance performance in mice

Source: National Library of Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information

(Official website of the United States government)

Authors

1. Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan:

• Tsuzuki Takamasa
• Ryo Suzuki
• Risa Cajun
• Yukiyasu Toyoda
• Takayuki Negishi
• Kazunori Yukawa

2. Research and Development, Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Itami, Hyogo, Japan:

• Takako Yamada
• Tetsuo Iida

3. Department of Sports Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan:

• Bingyang Liu
• Teruhiko Koike

4. Health, Physical Fitness and Sports Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan:

• Teruhiko Koike

Abstract

This study examined the combined effects of exercise and allulose intake on endurance performance in mice.

Male C57BL/6J mice were fed either a control diet (Con) or a 3% allulose diet (Allu) and then further divided into sedentary (Sed) or exercise (Ex) groups (Con-Sed, Con-Ex, Allu-Sed, Allu-Ex; n = 6-7/group).

Mice in the Ex groups were trained on a motorized treadmill 5 days a week for 4 weeks (15-18 m/min, 60 min).

After the training period, each mouse underwent an exhaustive running test to assess their endurance.

48 hours after the running test, mice in the Ex groups were again run at 18 m/min for 60 minutes. Then, immediately after the exercise sequence, samples were taken from the gastrocnemius muscle and liver.

Running time to exhaustion was generally higher in the Allu-Ex group than in the Con-Ex group (p = 0.08).

Muscle glycogen content was significantly lower in the Con-Ex group than in the Con-Sed group and significantly higher in the Allu-Ex group than in the Con-Ex group (p < 0.05).

Additionally, exercise training increased the phosphorylation levels of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in muscle and liver.

The phosphorylation level of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC), a downstream region of AMPK, in muscle and liver was significantly higher in the Allu-Ex group than in the Con-Sed group (p < 0.05), suggesting that the combination of exercise and D-allulose may have activated the AMPK-ACC signaling pathway, which is associated with fatty acid oxidation in muscle and liver.

Summary

Our data suggest that the combination of exercise training and allulose intake is an effective strategy to enhance endurance performance in mice.

This may be related to sparing glycogen content and enhancing activation of AMPK-ACC signaling in skeletal muscle.

Figure 1. Changes in body weight and food intake during the experimental period

Body weight (a) and food intake (b).

Values ​​are shown as mean ± standard error. * p 0.05 vs. Con‐Sed, † p 0.05 vs. Con‐Ex

• The control-sedentary (Con-Sed) group had the highest body weight, while the exercise and allulose-consuming (Allu-Ex) group had the lowest.
• The exercise control diet group (Con-Ex) gained more weight than the sedentary allulose diet group (Allu-Sed).
• Food intake showed a significant difference between the groups (\(p<0.05\)).

Figure 2. Effect of exercise and allulose intake on the size of fat cells in epididymal fat

H&E staining of epididymal fat sections (20× magnification, scale = 100 μm) (a). Histogram depicting the size distribution of measured white adipocytes in epididymal fat (b).

Values ​​are shown as mean ± standard error. * p < 0.05 vs. Con-Sed, † p < 0.05 vs. Con-Ex, # p < 0.05 vs. All-Sed. H&E, hematoxylin and eosin

The image consists of two parts, which present scientific data related to fat cells (adipocytes):

• Light microscopic images (a): Showing the effect of different experimental groups (Con, Allu) and treatments (Sed – sedentary lifestyle, Ex – exercise) on adipose tissue structure.
• Histogram (b): Shows the distribution of fat cell size in different categories, expressed as a % frequency.
• Statistical analysis: The \(p\)-values ​​shown in the graph indicate the statistical significance of the size differences (\(p<0.05\)) and the interaction (\(p<0.05\)) between the groups.

Figure 3. Effect of exercise and allulose intake on endurance

Running population (a) and running time to exhaustion (b). Values ​​are shown as mean ± standard error. * p < 0.05

(a) Proportion of mice running (%) Time to exhaustion (min) (b) Running time (min) Sedentary Exercise Interaction: \(p=0.07\) Diet: ns Exercise: \(p<0.05\)

• Exercise significantly increased running time for both diets (control and allulose).
• Allulose alone did not show a significant effect on endurance in the sedentary group.
• The longest running time was achieved by the group consuming allulose and exercising (Allu-Ex).
• The data suggest that there may be a synergistic effect between allulose and exercise in improving endurance (\(p=0.07\) interaction effect).

Figure 4. Effect of exercise and allulose intake on glycogen content and GSK3β phosphorylation

Glycogen content in gastrocnemius muscle (a) and liver (b) and GSK3β phosphorylation in muscle (c) and liver (d) after the last training session.

Values ​​are expressed as mean ± standard error. * p < 0.05. GSK, glycogen synthase kinase

(a) Muscle glycogen (µg/mg protein)

Interaction: p < 0.05

Diet: ns

Training: p < 0.05

(b) Liver glycogen (µg/mg protein)

(c) GSK-3β phosphorylation (AU)

The image shows graphs showing the effects of muscle glycogen, liver glycogen, and GSK-3β phosphorylation, examining the effects of allulose on mice.

Muscle glycogen levels are significantly reduced by exercise in both the control and allulose (Allu) groups.

Liver glycogen levels also decrease after exercise in both groups.

Phosphorylation of GSK-3β in the liver is significantly reduced by exercise.

Figure 5. Effect of exercise and allulose intake on the phosphorylation of the AMPK-ACC signaling cascade

Representative Western blots (a, d) and phosphorylation rates of AMPK (b, e) and ACC (c, f) in gastrocnemius muscle and liver after the last training session.

Values ​​are shown as mean ± standard error. * p < 0.05. AMPK, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase; ACC, acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase

1. Analysis in the gastrocnemius muscle

The scientific graphs in the image show the phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC proteins in the gastrocnemius muscle and liver, as a function of control (Con) and allulose (Allu) diets, as well as sedentary (Sed) and exercised (Ex) conditions.

• In the gastrocnemius muscle, training significantly increased AMPK phosphorylation (\(p<0.05\)), regardless of diet.
• Diet had a significant effect on ACC phosphorylation (\(p<0.05\)), which was higher in the allulose group. .f5cPye hr{border:1px solid var(--m3c17);border-top:0;margin:32px 0}

2. Analysis in the liver

Liver data show similar trends.

• Training also significantly increased AMPK phosphorylation (\(p<0.05\)).
• As a result of the diet, ACC phosphorylation in the liver was also significantly higher in the allulose group (\(p<0.05\)).

Exercise significantly increased running time for both diets (control and allulose).

Allulose alone did not show a significant effect on endurance in the sedentary group.

The longest running time was achieved by the group consuming allulose and exercising (Allu-Ex).

The data suggest that there may be a synergistic effect between allulose and exercise in improving endurance (\(p=0.07\) interaction effect).