Metabolomics and Lipidomics: Expanding the Molecular Landscape of Exercise Biology

Abstract

Dynamic changes in circulating and tissue metabolites and lipids occur in response to exercise-induced cellular and whole-body energy demands to maintain metabolic homeostasis. The metabolome and lipidome in a given biological system provides a molecular snapshot of these rapid and complex metabolic perturbations. The application of metabolomics and lipidomics to map the metabolic responses to an acute bout of aerobic/endurance or resistance exercise has dramatically expanded over the past decade thanks to major analytical advancements, with most exercise-related studies to date focused on analyzing human biofluids and tissues. Experimental and analytical considerations, as well as complementary studies using animal model systems, are warranted to help overcome challenges associated with large human interindividual variability and decipher the breadth of molecular mechanisms underlying the metabolic health-promoting effects of exercise. In this review, we provide a guide for exercise researchers regarding analytical techniques and experimental workflows commonly used in metabolomics and lipidomics. Furthermore, we discuss advancements in human and mammalian exercise research utilizing metabolomic and lipidomic approaches in the last decade, as well as highlight key technical considerations and remaining knowledge gaps to continue expanding the molecular landscape of exercise biology.

Effects of exercise on high-fat diet–induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and lipid metabolism in ApoE knockout mice

“…Metabolomics and lipidomics can be used to further examine the effects of aerobic/anaerobic or resistance exercise [ 34 ]. In cardiac disease, lipidomic profiling can also be used to validate the changes in lipid species (e.g., sphingolipid species and phospholipids containing omega-3/6 fatty acids) in response to swim endurance exercise [ 35 ].…”

Gene Doping with Peroxisome-Proliferator-Activated Receptor Beta/Delta Agonists Alters Immunity but Exercise Training Mitigates the Detection of Effects in Blood Samples

“…Despite an absence of effect on CPT1a mRNA level of exercise in SLOs, it is known that exercise impairs aspects of cellular immune function, probably due to the higher energy cost of exercise and metabolic perturbations in endurance athletes [ 20 ]. Indeed, a rapid metabolite turnover can be detected in seconds after an acute bout of endurance exercise, whereas it takes minutes to hours for transcriptomic and proteomic responses accounting for training adaptation [ 21 ]. An increase of about 75% of the maximum rate of fat oxidation (whole body measure), which is already high in elite endurance athletes, is observed after a 2 h recovery in a fasting condition from an endurance exercise session [ 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”

The Importance of Lipidomic Approach for Mapping and Exploring the Molecular Networks Underlying Physical Exercise: A Systematic Review

“…In recent years, the related and emerging literature that has seen a growing interest in investigating the relationship between the application of lipidomic and exercise-related inflammation. Several reports on this relationship found that exercise increases inflammation in the early recovery phase [69] and decreases polyunsaturated fatty acids with anti-inflammatory and protective activity [70,71]. Approximately 2 h after the end of exercise, considerable increases in various lipid mediators were observed in skeletal muscle.…”