Molecular Metabolism

Objective We tested the hypothesis that skeletal muscle of endurance-trained male runners would exhibit elevated autophagy and mitophagy markers, which would be associated with greater metabolic flexibility following a high-fat meal (HFM). Methods Muscle biopsies were collected to determine differences in autophagy and mitophagy protein markers and metabolic flexibility under fasting conditions and 4 h following a HFM between endurance-trained male runners (n = 10) and sedentary, non-obese controls (n = 9). Results Maximal oxygen consumption (ml·kg·min−1) was approximately 50% higher (p 0.05), but increased in response to the HFM in endurance-trained athletes only (p
Highlights • Basal autophagy is similar in skeletal muscle of endurance-trained and sedentary males. • Trained and sedentary skeletal muscle autophagy is unaltered following high-fat meal. • Mitophagy activity is greater in endurance-trained than sedentary skeletal muscle. • Greater mitophagy is related to increased metabolic flexibility after high-fat meal. • Trained and sedentary skeletal muscle mitophagy is unaltered following high-fat meal.