Publications by authors named "Joseph A Houmard"

Resting lactate concentration in venous blood is a commonly used indicator of metabolic disease risk. Regular exercise during pregnancy improves maternal metabolic health; however, it is unknown if maternal exercise regulates resting lactate concentration. We aimed to elucidate the effects of three different modalities of exercise during pregnancy on blood lactate in pregnant women.

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Background: Offspring body mass index is often higher in parents with overweight or obesity, thereby increasing the risk of obesity later in life. As data has shown that exercise during pregnancy reduces gestational weight gain and offspring adiposity, we believe the intergenerational risk of obesity could be reduced.

Objective: This study aimed to test the influence of paternal and maternal overweight or obesity on neonatal body mass index and other birth measures, and whether exercise during pregnancy would improve outcomes.

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Understanding how exercise improves whole-body insulin sensitivity (Si) involves complex molecular signaling. This study examines skeletal muscle gene expression changes related to Si, considering sex differences, exercise amount, and intensity to identify pharmacologic targets mimicking exercise benefits. Fifty-three participants from STRRIDE (Studies of Targeted Risk Reduction Interventions through Defined Exercise) I and II completed eight months of aerobic training.

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Maternal obesity decreases infant energy expenditure, subsequently predisposing infants to greater adiposity and weight gain. Conversely, some findings suggest that maternal exercise may increase infant energy expenditure; however, the impact of maternal exercise mode (i.e.

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Non-pharmaceutical interventions are needed to target the growing intergenerational cycle of obesity. We aimed to determine whether in utero exposure to different exercise doses during pregnancy directly reduces infant cellular and whole-body adiposity. Pregnant women completed ~24 weeks of supervised exercise training; for standardization of exercise analysis (frequency, intensity, time, and volume-FIT-V), metrics were assessed from 16 to 36 weeks.

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An elevated lipoprotein insulin resistance (LP-IR) score corresponds to insulin resistance in adults with overweight and obesity, yet data are lacking regarding the impact of exercise interventions on LP-IR. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to evaluate the effects of a weight loss and weight maintenance intervention on LP-IR score in adults with overweight and obesity. Thirty sedentary adults with overweight and obesity completed a 10-week OPTIFAST weight loss program with supervised aerobic exercise to achieve clinical weight loss (CWL) (≥7% from baseline).

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Besides the well-recognized influence of maternal health on fetal in utero development, recent epidemiological studies appoint paternal preconception metabolic health as a significant factor in shaping fetal metabolic programming and subsequently offspring metabolic health; however, mechanisms behind these adaptations remain confined to animal models. To elucidate the effects of paternal obesity (P-OB) on infant metabolism in humans, we examined mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which give rise to infant tissue, remain involved in mature tissue maintenance, and resemble the phenotype of the offspring donor. Here, we assessed mitochondrial functional capacity, content, and insulin action in MSC from infants of fathers with overweight [body mass index (BMI: 25-30 kg/m); paternal overweight (P-OW)] or obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m; P-OB) while controlling for maternal intrauterine environment.

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Article Synopsis
  • Maternal exercise (ME) has been shown to positively impact infant metabolic health, but most understanding comes from animal studies.
  • Research on infant mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reveals that ME enhances MSC mitochondrial function and insulin signaling, leading to improved energy use.
  • Infants of mothers who exercised were found to be leaner at 1 month, and there was an inverse relationship between MSC respiration and infant fat levels at 6 months.
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Physical activity, including structured exercise, is associated with favorable health-related chronic disease outcomes. Although there is evidence of various molecular pathways that affect these responses, a comprehensive molecular map of these molecular responses to exercise has not been developed. The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) is a multicenter study designed to isolate the effects of structured exercise training on the molecular mechanisms underlying the health benefits of exercise and physical activity.

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Article Synopsis
  • Resveratrol, a natural compound in plants, is being studied for its potential to treat obesity-related issues like insulin resistance.
  • A study analyzed how obesity status (lean vs. severely obese) affects responses to resveratrol in skeletal muscle cells, revealing that lean women showed greater improvements in insulin action with resveratrol than severely obese women.
  • The findings suggest that while resveratrol enhances insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism in both groups, the mechanisms may differ, with AMPK activation playing a key role in severely obese individuals.
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Background And Aim: Elevated fasting plasma lactate concentrations are evident in individuals with metabolic diseases. However, it has yet to be determined if these associations exist in a young, healthy population as a possible early marker for metabolic disease risk. The purpose of this study was to determine if indices of the metabolic syndrome are related to plasma lactate concentrations in this population.

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The proportion of the different types of fibers in a given skeletal muscle contributes to its overall metabolic and functional characteristics. Greater proportion of type I muscle fibers is associated with favorable oxidative metabolism and function of the muscle. Humans with obesity have a lower proportion of type I muscle fibers.

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Objective: Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is the key regulator of mitochondrial fission. We and others have reported a strong correlation between enhanced Drp1 activity and impaired skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. This study aimed to determine whether Drp1 directly regulates skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity and whole-body glucose homeostasis.

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Objective: In adults, skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity (S ) and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) are linked with a predisposition to obesity. The current study aimed to determine the effects of maternal exercise on a model of infant skeletal muscle tissue (differentiated umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs]) S and FAO and analyzed for associations with infant body composition.

Methods: Females <16 weeks' gestation were randomized to either 150 min/wk of moderate-intensity aerobic, resistance, or combination exercise or a nonexercising control.

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Individuals with insulin resistance and obesity display higher skeletal muscle production of nonoxidized glycolytic products (i.e., lactate), and lower complete mitochondrial substrate oxidation to CO2.

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Caloric restriction and exercise exert significant improvements in cardiac autonomic function as measured by HRV in overweight and obesity. Aerobic exercise training, within recommended guidelines coupled with weight loss maintenance, retains cardiac autonomic function benefits from weight loss in previously obese individuals.

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Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent in African American (AA) than Caucasian (C) adults. Furthermore, differential substrate utilization has been observed between AA and C adults, but data regarding metabolic differences between races at birth remains scarce. The purpose of the present study was to determine if there are racial differences in substrate metabolism evident at birth using a mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) collected from offspring umbilical cords.

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Arterial stiffness is improved by weight loss. However, no data exist on the impact of aerobic exercise levels on arterial stiffness during weight maintenance. Adults who were  overweight or with obesity (N = 39) participated in a 10-week weight loss program.

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Context: Maternal exercise positively influences pregnancy outcomes and metabolic health in progeny; however, data regarding the effects of different modes of prenatal exercise on offspring metabolic phenotype is lacking.

Objective: To elucidate the effects of different modes of maternal exercise on offspring umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) metabolism.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

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Although discrete maternal exercise and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation individually are beneficial for infant body composition, the effects of exercise and PUFA during pregnancy on infant body composition have not been studied. This study evaluated the body composition of infants born to women participating in a randomized control exercise intervention study. Participants were randomized to aerobic exercise (n = 25) or control (stretching and breathing) groups (n = 10).

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Preclinical rodent and nonhuman primate models investigating maternal obesity have highlighted the importance of the intrauterine environment in the development of insulin resistance in offspring; however, it remains unclear if these findings can be translated to humans. To investigate possible intrauterine effects in humans, we isolated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from the umbilical cord tissue of infants born to mothers of normal weight or mothers with obesity. Insulin-stimulated glycogen storage was determined in MSCs undergoing myogenesis in vitro.

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Context: Recent preclinical data suggest exercise during pregnancy can improve the metabolic phenotype not only of the mother, but of the developing offspring as well. However, investigations in human offspring are lacking.

Objective: To characterize the effect of maternal aerobic exercise on the metabolic phenotype of the offspring's mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

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Exercise and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation independently improve lipid profiles. The influence of both exercise and PUFAs on lipids during pregnancy remains unknown. This study evaluated exercise, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentrations on lipids during pregnancy.

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Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) negatively effects the redox state and growth signaling via its interactions with thioredoxin (TRX) and regulated in development and DNA damage response 1 (REDD1), respectively. TXNIP expression is downregulated by pathways activated during aerobic exercise (AE), via posttranslational modifications (PTMs; serine phosphorylation and ubiquitination). The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of acute AE on TXNIP expression, posttranslational modifications, and its interacting partners, REDD1 and TRX.

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Purpose: To investigate the changes in activities and participation, and mental and physical functions for 9 mo after cardiac rehabilitation (CR) among adults with chronic cardiac conditions.

Methods: Twenty-five adults with chronic cardiac conditions scheduled for discharge from CR were assessed at four different times: within 2-wk window of CR discharge date, 1 mo, 3 mo, and 9 mo after CR discharge. Nine assessments according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health were used to track the changes post-CR.

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