Brain-derived neurotrophic factor drives muscle adaptation similar to aerobic training in mice.

This study, in vivo and in vitro, investigated the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in skeletal muscle adaptations to aerobic exercise. BDNF is a contraction-induced protein that may play a role in muscle adaptations to aerobic exercise. BDNF is involved in muscle repair, increased fat oxidation, and mitochondrial biogenesis, all of which are adaptations observed with aerobic training.

Characterizing the effects of muscle-specific GSK3α/β reduction on murine muscle contractility and metabolism in female mice.

Dysregulation of skeletal muscle morphology and metabolism is associated with chronic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. The enzyme glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is highly involved in skeletal muscle physiology and metabolism, acting as a negative regulator of muscle size, strength, adaptive thermogenesis, and glucose homeostasis. Correspondingly, we have shown that partial knockdown (∼40%) of GSK3 specifically in skeletal muscle increases lean mass, reduces fat mass, and activates muscle-based adaptive thermogenesis via sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca (SERCA) uncoupling in male mice.

Correction: Klentrou et al. Circulating Levels of Bone Markers after Short-Term Intense Training with Increased Dairy Consumption in Adolescent Female Athletes. 2021, , 961.

There was an error in the original publication [...

Correction: McKinlay et al. Effects of Post-Exercise Whey Protein Consumption on Recovery Indices in Adolescent Swimmers. 2020, , 7761.

The authors of "Effects of Post-Exercise Whey Protein Consumption on Recovery Indices in Adolescent Swimmers" report an error in Table 1 of their article [...

Low-Dose Lithium Supplementation Influences GSK3β Activity in a Brain Region Specific Manner in C57BL6 Male Mice.

Background: Lithium, a commonly used treatment for bipolar disorder, has been shown to have neuroprotective effects for other conditions including Alzheimer's disease via the inhibition of the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3). However, dose-dependent adverse effects of lithium are well-documented, highlighting the need to determine if low doses of lithium can reliably reduce GSK3 activity.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a low-dose lithium supplementation on GSK3 activity in the brain of an early, diet-induced Alzheimer's disease model.

Low-dose lithium supplementation promotes adipose tissue browning and sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca ATPase uncoupling in muscle.

Sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase (SERCA) uncoupling in skeletal muscle and mitochondrial uncoupling via uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in brown/beige adipose tissue are two mechanisms implicated in energy expenditure. Here, we investigated the effects of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) inhibition via lithium chloride (LiCl) treatment on SERCA uncoupling in skeletal muscle and UCP1 expression in adipose. C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells treated with LiCl had increased SERCA uncoupling and UCP1 protein levels, respectively, ultimately raising cellular respiration; however, this was only observed when LiCl treatment occurred throughout differentiation.

Sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase function is impaired in skeletal and cardiac muscles from young DBA/2J mdx mice.

The DBA/2J (D2) mouse is a more severe model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy when compared to the traditional C57BL/10 (C57) mouse. Here, we questioned whether sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase (SERCA) function would differ in muscles from young D2 and C57 mice. Both D2 and C57 mice exhibited signs of impaired Ca uptake in the gastrocnemius, diaphragm, and left ventricle; however, the level of impairment was more severe in D2 mice.

Creatine O'Clock: Does Timing of Ingestion Really Influence Muscle Mass and Performance?

It is well-established that creatine supplementation augments the gains in muscle mass and performance during periods of resistance training. However, whether the timing of creatine ingestion influences these physical and physiological adaptations is unclear. Muscle contractions increase blood flow and possibly creatine transport kinetics which has led some to speculate that creatine in close proximity to resistance training sessions may lead to superior improvements in muscle mass and performance.

Intensified training in adolescent female athletes: a crossover study of Greek yogurt effects on indices of recovery.

Background: During a period of intensified exercise (e.g. training/identification camps), often undertaken by competitive youth athletes, the maintenance of muscle function and peak performance can become challenging due to an accumulation of fatigue.

Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Brain Function and Health.

While the vast majority of research involving creatine supplementation has focused on skeletal muscle, there is a small body of accumulating research that has focused on creatine and the brain. Preliminary studies indicate that creatine supplementation (and guanidinoacetic acid; GAA) has the ability to increase brain creatine content in humans. Furthermore, creatine has shown some promise for attenuating symptoms of concussion, mild traumatic brain injury and depression but its effect on neurodegenerative diseases appears to be lacking.

Beyond its Psychiatric Use: The Benefits of Low-dose Lithium Supplementation.

Lithium is most well-known for its mood-stabilizing effects in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Due to its narrow therapeutic window (0.5-1.

Circulating Levels of Bone Markers after Short-Term Intense Training with Increased Dairy Consumption in Adolescent Female Athletes.

Thirteen female adolescent soccer players (14.3 ± 1.3 years) participated in a cross-over, double-blind trial examining the effects of Greek yogurt (GY) consumption on bone biomarkers during 5 days of intense soccer training.

Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation Increases White Adipose Tissue Mitochondrial Markers in Male and Female Rats in a Depot Specific Manner.

White adipose tissue (WAT) is a dynamic endocrine organ that can play a significant role in thermoregulation. WAT has the capacity to adopt structural and functional characteristics of the more metabolically active brown adipose tissue (BAT) and contribute to non-shivering thermogenesis under specific stimuli. Non-shivering thermogenesis was previously thought to be uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-dependent however, recent evidence suggests that UCP1-independent mechanisms of thermogenesis exist.

Sex- and tissue-dependent creatine uptake in response to different creatine monohydrate doses in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Sprague-Dawley rats ( = 32) underwent 8-weeks of creatine monohydrate (CM) supplementation (0, 2.5, 5, and 10 g/L). Total creatine (TCr) concentrations in female white fibre-dominant gastrocnemius (WGAS) and cardiac muscle (HRT) were significantly higher compared with males ( < 0.

Effects of Post-Exercise Whey Protein Consumption on Recovery Indices in Adolescent Swimmers.

: This study examined the effect of whey protein consumption following high-intensity interval swimming (HIIS) on muscle damage, inflammatory cytokines and performance in adolescent swimmers. : Fifty-four swimmers (11-17 years-old) were stratified by age, sex and body mass to a whey protein (PRO), isoenergetic carbohydrate (CHO) or a water/placebo (HO) group. Following baseline blood samples (06:00 h) and a standardised breakfast, participants performed a maximal 200 m swim, followed by HIIS.

GSK3 inhibition with low dose lithium supplementation augments murine muscle fatigue resistance and specific force production.

Calcineurin is a Ca -dependent serine/threonine phosphatase that dephosphorylates nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), allowing for NFAT entry into the nucleus. In skeletal muscle, calcineurin signaling and NFAT activation increases the expression of proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) and slow myosin heavy chain (MHC) I ultimately promoting fatigue resistance. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is a serine/threonine kinase that antagonizes calcineurin by re-phosphorylating NFAT preventing its entry into the nucleus.

Low-dose lithium feeding increases the SERCA2a-to-phospholamban ratio, improving SERCA function in murine left ventricles.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) has been shown to improve cardiac SERCA2a function. Lithium can inhibit GSK3, but therapeutic doses used in treating bipolar disorder can have toxic effects. It has not been determined whether subtherapeutic doses of lithium can improve cardiac SERCA function.

Consumption of Greek yogurt during 12 weeks of high-impact loading exercise increases bone formation in young, adult males - a secondary analysis from a randomized trial.

Exercise combined with protein and calcium has been shown to benefit bone turnover and bone metabolism. Greek yogurt (GY) contains important nutrients that support bone but has yet to be studied with exercise for this purpose. Thirty untrained, university-aged, males were randomized to 2 groups ( = 15/group): GY (20 g protein, 208 mg calcium/dose) or placebo pudding (PP; 0 g protein, 0 g calcium/dose) consumed 3×/day on training days and 2×/day on nontraining days.

Greek Yogurt and 12 Weeks of Exercise Training on Strength, Muscle Thickness and Body Composition in Lean, Untrained, University-Aged Males.

Milk and/or whey protein plus resistance exercise (RT) increase strength and muscle size, and optimize body composition in adult males and females. Greek yogurt (GY) contains similar muscle-supporting nutrients as milk yet it is different in several ways including being a semi-solid food, containing bacterial cultures and having a higher protein content (mostly casein) per serving. GY has yet to be investigated in the context of a RT program.

Low dose lithium supplementation activates Wnt/β-catenin signalling and increases bone OPG/RANKL ratio in mice.

Lithium, a well-known inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), can improve bone formation by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. However, most studies have used higher doses of lithium, which potentially have adverse effects. Herein, we report that low dose lithium supplementation (10 mg/kg/d for 6 weeks) in mice results in a serum lithium concentration of 0.

Effects of mild whole body hypothermia on self-paced exercise performance.

This study examined self-paced, high-intensity exercise during mild hypothermia and whether hyperoxia might offset any potential impairment. Twelve trained males each completed 15-km time trials in three environmental conditions: Neutral (23°C, [Formula: see text] 0.21), Cold (0°C, [Formula: see text] 0.

Increases in skeletal muscle ATGL and its inhibitor G0S2 following 8 weeks of endurance training in metabolically different rat skeletal muscles.

Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) catalyzes the rate-limiting removal of the first fatty acid from a triglyceride. ATGL is activated by comparative gene identification-58 and inhibited by G(0)/G(1) switch gene-2 protein (G0S2). Research in other tissues and cell culture indicates that inhibition is dependent on relative G0S2-to-ATGL protein content.