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We assessed the feasibility of the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) human adult clinical exercise protocols, while also documenting select cardiovascular, metabolic, and molecular responses to these protocols. After phenotyping and familiarization sessions, 20 subjects (25 ± 2 yr, 12 M, 8 W) completed an endurance exercise bout ( n = 8, 40 min cycling at 70% V̇o 2max ), a resistance exercise bout ( n = 6, ∼45 min, 3 sets of ∼10 repetition maximum, 8 exercises), or a resting control period ( n = 6, 40 min rest). Blood samples were taken before, during, and after (10 min, 2 h, and 3.5 h) exercise or rest for levels of catecholamines, cortisol, glucagon, insulin, glucose, free fatty acids, and lactate. Heart rate was recorded throughout exercise (or rest). Skeletal muscle (vastus lateralis) and adipose (periumbilical) biopsies were taken before and ∼4 h following exercise or rest for mRNA levels of genes related to energy metabolism, growth, angiogenesis, and circadian processes. Coordination of the timing of procedural components (e.g., local anesthetic delivery, biopsy incisions, tumescent delivery, intravenous line flushes, sample collection and processing, exercise transitions, and team dynamics) was reasonable to orchestrate while considering subject burden and scientific objectives. The cardiovascular and metabolic alterations reflected a dynamic and unique response to endurance and resistance exercise, whereas skeletal muscle was transcriptionally more responsive than adipose 4 h postexercise. In summary, the current report provides the first evidence of protocol execution and feasibility of key components of the MoTrPAC human adult clinical exercise protocols. Scientists should consider designing exercise studies in various populations to interface with the MoTrPAC protocols and DataHub. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study highlights the feasibility of key aspects of the MoTrPAC adult human clinical protocols. This initial preview of what can be expected from acute exercise trial data from MoTrPAC provides an impetus for scientists to design exercise studies to interlace with the rich phenotypic and -omics data that will populate the MoTrPAC DataHub at the completion of the parent protocol.

Background: Resistance exercise provides an effective stimulus for improving the metabolic plasticity of skeletal muscle, and the type of acute muscle contraction plays an important role in determining specific responses and adaptations. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the effect of contraction order on metabolic responses by comparing monophasic concentric and eccentric squats versus a protocol incorporating alternated concentric and eccentric repetitions., Methods: Twelve recreationally active men (21.1±1.1yr) performed three nearly identical squat protocols on separate days. Protocols varied only with contraction-type, including 4 sets × 10 reps concentric-only (CON), eccentric-only (ECC), and BOTH which alternated 5 concentric followed by 5 eccentric reps (CON-ECC; sets 1 and 3) and vice versa (ECC-CON; sets 2 and 4). The experimental trials were performed once weekly in a randomized, counter-balanced order, and expired gases were collected using a two-way non-rebreathing mask and oxygen consumption quantified with indirect calorimetry. Subjects raised (CON) and lowered (ECC) the load in 2s, and all sets (2 min) and repetitions (8 s) were separated by standardized rest intervals., Results: From the BOTH protocol, the increase in metabolic rate was significantly greater (P≤0.05) during squats performed with CON-ECC order (0.60±0.11 L·min -1 ) compared to ECC-CON (0.44±0.07 L·min -1 ), but excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) was opposite, with significantly greater metabolic rate during the 2-minute rest intervals after ECC-CON squats (0.46±0.09 L·min -1 ) compared to CON-ECC (0.25±0.05 L·min -1 ). Metabolic rates during and after squats were significantly greater (P≤0.05) with CON (0.63±0.09; 0.49±0.10 L·min-1) compared to ECC (0.34±0.04; 0.20±0.04 L·min-1), respectively., Conclusions: These data present an interesting paradigm regarding the contraction-dependent metabolic responses to monophasic resistance exercise and suggest a greater EPOC following concentric versus eccentric muscle actions.

Prostaglandin (PG) E 2  has been linked to increased inflammation and attenuated resistance exercise adaptations in skeletal muscle. Nonaspirin cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors have been shown to reduce these effects. This study examined the effect of low-dose aspirin on skeletal muscle COX production of PGE 2 at rest and following resistance exercise. Skeletal muscle (vastus lateralis) biopsies were taken from six individuals (4 M/2 W) before and 3.5 hr after a single bout of resistance exercise for ex vivo PGE 2 production under control and low (10 μM)- or standard (100 μM)-dose aspirin conditions. Sex-specific effects of aspirin were also examined by combining the current findings with our previous similar ex vivo skeletal muscle investigations (n = 20, 10 M/10 W). Low-dose aspirin inhibited skeletal muscle PGE 2 production (p < 0.05). This inhibition was similar to standard-dose aspirin (p > 0.05) and was not influenced by resistance exercise (p > 0.05) (overall effect: -18 ± 5%). Men and women had similar uninhibited skeletal muscle PGE 2 production at rest (men: 1.97 ± 0.33, women: 1.96 ± 0.29 pg/mg wet weight/min; p > 0.05). However, skeletal muscle of men was 60% more sensitive to aspirin inhibition than women (p < 0.05). In summary, the current findings 1) confirm low-dose aspirin inhibits the PGE 2 /COX pathway in human skeletal muscle, 2) show that resistance exercise does not alter aspirin inhibitory efficacy, and 3) suggest the skeletal muscle of men and women could respond differently to long-term consumption of low-dose aspirin, one of the most common chronically consumed drugs in the world., (© 2021 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.)