Carbohydrate feeding during recovery alters the skeletal muscle metabolic response to repeated sessions of high-intensity interval exercise in humans

Exercise training under conditions of reduced carbohydrate (CHO) availability has been reported to augment gains in skeletal muscle oxidative capacity; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We examined the effect of manipulating CHO intake on the acute metabolic response to high-intensity interval exercise, including signaling cascades linked to mitochondrial biogenesis. Ten men performed two trials in random order separated by >or=1 wk. Each trial consisted of a morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) training session (5 x 4 min cycling at approximately 90-95% of heart rate reserve) separated by 3 h of recovery during which subjects ingested a high-CHO drink (HI-HI) or nonenergetic placebo (HI-LO) before PM exercise. Biopsies (vastus lateralis) revealed that muscle phosphocreatine and ATP content were similar after AM exercise but decreased to a greater extent during PM exercise in HI-LO vs. HI-HI. Phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) increased approximately 4-fold and 2-fold, respectively, during AM exercise with no difference between conditions. After PM exercise, p38 MAPK phosphorylation was higher in HI-LO vs. HI-HI, whereas AMPK was not different between conditions. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1 alpha) gene expression increased approximately 8-fold during recovery from AM exercise and remained elevated during PM exercise with no differences between conditions. Cytochrome oxidase subunit 4 (COXIV) mRNA was also elevated 3 h after AM exercise, with no difference between conditions. These data provide evidence that p38 MAPK is a nutrient-sensitive signaling molecule that could be involved in the altered skeletal muscle adaptive response reported after exercise training under conditions of restricted CHO intake, but further research is required to confirm this hypothesis.