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High-intensity interval training (HIIT) enhances skeletal muscle oxygen delivery and utilization but data are limited regarding fiber-specific adaptations in humans. We examined the effect of 18 sessions of HIIT (10 × 60-sec cycling intervals at ~90% HR max , interspersed by 60-sec of recovery) over 6 weeks on markers of microvascular density and oxidative capacity in type I and II fibers in healthy but sedentary young women (Age: 26 ± 7 years; BMI: 30 ± 4 kg·m -2 ; VO 2peak : 2.16 ± 0.45 L·m -1 ). Immunohistochemical analyses of muscle cross sections revealed a training-induced increase in capillary contacts per fiber in type I fibers (PRE: 4.38 ± 0.37 vs. POST: 5.17 ± 0.80; main effect, P < 0.05) and type II fibers (PRE: 4.24 ± 0.55 vs. POST: 4.92 ± 0.54; main effect, P < 0.05). The capillary-to-fiber ratio also increased after training in type I fibers (PRE: 1.53 ± 1.44 vs. POST: 1.88 ± 0.38; main effect, P < 0.05) and type II fibers (PRE: 1.45 ± 0.19 vs. POST: 1.76 ± 0.27; main effect, P < 0.05). Muscle oxidative capacity as reflected by the protein content of cytochrome oxidase IV also increased after training in type I fibers (PRE: 3500 ± 858 vs. POST: 4442 ± 1377 arbitrary units; main effect, P < 0.01) and type II fibers (PRE: 2632 ± 629 vs. POST: 3863 ± 1307 arbitrary units; main effect, P < 0.01). We conclude that short-term HIIT in previously inactive women similarly increases markers of capillary density and mitochondrial content in type I and type II fibers., (© 2018 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.)

Background: Skeletal muscle satellite cells (SC) are instrumental in maintenance of muscle fibres, the adaptive responses to exercise, and there is an age-related decline in SC. A spatial relationship exists between SC and muscle fibre capillaries. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether chronologic age has an impact on the spatial relationship between SC and muscle fibre capillaries. Secondly, we determined whether this spatial relationship changes in response to a single session of resistance exercise., Methods: Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis of previously untrained young men (YM, 24 ± 3 years; n  = 23) and older men (OM, 67 ± 4 years; n  = 22) at rest. A subset of YM ( n  = 9) performed a single bout of resistance exercise, where additional muscle biopsies taken at 24 and 72 h post-exercise recovery. Skeletal muscle fibre capillarization, SC content, and activation status were assessed using immunofluorescent microscopy of muscle cross sections., Results: Type II muscle fibre SC and capillary content was significantly lower in the YM compared with OM ( P  < 0.05). Furthermore, type II muscle fibre SC were located at a greater distance from the nearest capillary in OM compared with YM (21.6 ± 1.3 vs. 17.0 ± 0.8 µm, respectively; P  < 0.05). In response to a single bout of exercise, we observed a significant increase in SC number and activation status ( P  < 0.05). In addition, activated vs. quiescent SC were situated closer ( P  < 0.05) to capillaries., Conclusions: We demonstrate that there is a greater distance between capillaries and type II fibre-associated SC in OM as compared with YM. Furthermore, quiescent SC are located significantly further away from capillaries than active SC after single bout of exercise. Our data have implications for how muscle adapts to exercise and how aging may affect such adaptations.

The percutaneous muscle biopsy procedure is an invaluable tool for characterizing skeletal muscle and capillarization. Little is known about methodological or biological variation stemming from the technique in heterogeneous muscle. Five muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis of a group of young men (n = 29, 22 ± 1 years) over a 96-h period. We investigated the repeatability of fibre distribution, indices of muscle capillarization and perfusion, and myofibre characteristics. No differences between the biopsies were reported in myofibre type distribution, cross-sectional area (CSA), and perimeter. Capillary-to-fibre perimeter exchange index and individual capillary-fibre contacts were unchanged with respect to the location of the muscle biopsy and index of capillarization. The variability in the sampling distribution of fibre type specific muscle CSA increased when fewer than 150 muscle fibres were quantified. Variability in fibre type distribution increased when fewer than 150 muscle fibres were quantified. Myofibre characteristics and indices of capillarization are largely consistent throughout the vastus lateralis when assessed via the skeletal muscle biopsy technique. Novelty Markers of muscle capillarization and perfusion were unchanged across multiple sites of the human vastus lateralis. Myofibre characteristics such as muscle cross-sectional area, perimeter, and fibre type distribution were also unchanged. Variation of muscle CSA was higher when fewer than 150 muscle fibres were quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points: Skeletal muscle stem cells (satellite cells) play a crucial role in repair and remodelling of muscle in response to exercise. Satellite cells are in close spatial proximity to muscle capillaries and therefore may be influenced by them. In this study, we describe the activation and expansion of the satellite cell pool in response to eccentric contraction‐induced muscle damage in individuals with significantly different levels of muscle capillarization. Individuals with greater capillarization and capacity for muscle perfusion demonstrated enhanced activation and/or expansion of the satellite cell pool allowing for an accelerated recovery of muscle function. These results provide insight into the critical relationship between muscle capillarization and satellite cells during skeletal muscle repair. Abstract: Factors that determine the skeletal muscle satellite cell (SC) response remain incompletely understood. It is known, however, that SC activation status is closely related to the anatomical relationship between SCs and muscle capillaries. We investigated the impact of muscle fibre capillarization on the expansion and activation status of SCs following a muscle‐damaging exercise protocol in healthy young men. Twenty‐nine young men (21 ± 0.5 years) performed 300 unilateral eccentric contractions (180 deg s−1) of the knee extensors. Percutaneous muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis and blood samples from the antecubital vein were taken prior to (Pre) exercise and at 6, 24, 72 and 96 h of post‐exercise recovery. A comparison was made between subjects who had a relative low mixed muscle capillary‐to‐fibre perimeter exchange index (CFPE; Low group) and high mixed muscle CFPE index (High group) at baseline. Type I and type II muscle fibre size, myonuclear content, capillarization, and SC response were determined via immunohistochemistry. Overall, there was a significant correlation (r = 0.39; P < 0.05) between the expansion of SC content (change in total Pax7+ cells/100 myofibres) 24 h following eccentric exercise and mixed muscle CFPE index. There was a greater increase in activated SCs (MyoD+/Pax7+ cells) in the High as compared to the Low CFPE group 72 h following eccentric exercise (P < 0.05). The current study provides further evidence that muscle fibre capillarization may play an important role in the activation and expansion of the SC pool during the process of skeletal muscle repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal muscle satellite cells (SC) play an important role in muscle adaptation. In untrained individuals, SC content and activation status have been observed to increase in response to a single bout of exercise. Muscle fiber characteristics change considerably when resistance exercise is performed chronically, but whether training status affects the activity of SC in response to a single bout of exercise remains unknown. We examined the changes in SC content and activation status following a single bout of resistance exercise, before and following a 16-wk progressive resistance training (RT) program in 14 young (25 ± 3 yr) men. Before and after RT, percutaneous biopsies from the vastus lateralis muscle were taken before a single bout of resistance exercise and after 24 and 72 h of postexercise recovery. Muscle fiber size, capillarization, and SC response were determined by immunohistochemistry. Following RT, there was a greater activation of SC after 24 h in response to a single bout of resistance exercise (Pre, 1.4 ± 0.3; 24 h, 3.1 ± 0.3 Pax7+/MyoD+ cells per 100 fibers) compared with before RT (Pre, 1.4 ± 0.3; 24 h, 2.2 ± 0.3 Pax7+/MyoD+ cells per 100 fibers, P < 0.05); no difference was observed 72 h postexercise. Following 16 wk of RT, MyoD mRNA expression increased from basal to 24 h after the single bout of exercise (P < 0.05); this change was not observed before training. Individual capillary-to-fiber ratio (C/Fi) increased in both type I (1.8 ± 0.3 to 2.0 ± 0.3 C/Fi, P < 0.05) and type II (1.7 ± 0.3 to 2.2 ± 0.3 C/Fi, P < 0.05) fibers in response to RT. After RT, enhanced activation of SC in response to resistance exercise is accompanied by increases in muscle fiber capillarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]