Resistance training minimizes catabolic effects induced by sleep deprivation in rats

Abstract

Sleep deprivation (SD) can induce muscle atrophy. We aimed to investigate the changes underpinning SD-induced muscle atrophy and the impact of this condition on rats that were previously submitted to resistance training (RT). Adult male Wistar EPM-1 rats were randomly allocated into 1 of 5 groups: control, sham, SD (for 96 h), RT, and RT+SD. The major outcomes of this study were muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA), anabolic and catabolic hormone profiles, and the abundance of select proteins involved in muscle protein synthesis and degradation pathways. SD resulted in muscle atrophy; however, when SD was combined with RT, the reduction in muscle fiber CSA was attenuated. The levels of IGF-1 and testosterone were reduced in SD animals, and the RT+SD group had higher levels of these hormones than the SD group. Corticosterone was increased in the SD group compared with the control group, and this increase was minimized in the RT+SD group. The increases in corticosterone concentrations paralleled changes in the abundance of ubiquitinated proteins and the autophagic proteins LC3 and p62/SQSTM1, suggesting that corticosterone may trigger these changes. SD induced weight loss, but this loss was minimized in the RT+SD group. We conclude that SD induced muscle atrophy, probably because of the increased corticosterone and catabolic signal. High-intensity RT performed before SD was beneficial in containing muscle loss induced by SD. It also minimized the catabolic signal and increased synthetic activity, thereby minimizing the body's weight loss.

Homeostatic effects of exercise and sleep on metabolic processes in mice with an overexpressed skeletal muscle clock

“…We were surprised to find a main effect of Bmal1 overexpression (in skeletal muscle) on insulin sensitivity of the skeletal muscle; loss of Bmal1/BMAL1 function and sleep deprivation (NREM and REM) for an extensive duration (96 hours) both compromise insulin sensitivity [6, 7, 8, 27, 28]. No study in rodent models has yet to report a compromise in insulin sensitivity with short durations of sleep deprivation (6 hours), but 12 hours of sleep fragmentation can also compromise insulin sensitivity [29].…”

Paradoxical Sleep Deprivation Causes Cardiac Dysfunction and the Impairment Is Attenuated by Resistance Training

“…During the training sessions, the animals were placed at the bottom of the ladder to climb the stairs 4–8 times while carrying a load, with 60-second intervals between the series. Animals took 8 to 12 steps to climb from the base to the top of the ladder [28]. …”

“…The sessions were conducted five times per week (Monday to Friday), and the Monday training session was replaced by the maximum load test to readjust the load. To avoid overtraining due to the high loads, prophylactic rest was introduced on Wednesday of weeks 6, 7, and 8 [28]. …”

The Impact of Shiftwork on Skeletal Muscle Health

“…Sleep-deprivation induced muscle atrophy could be partially restored by a 96-h recovery period [37]. Work from the same group confirmed that a decrease in average muscle fibre CSA induced by sleep-deprivation was specific to glycolytic and mixed muscles and that 96 h of paradoxical sleep deprivation significantly reduced fat deposition in all types of muscle, possibly as a direct consequence of a negative energy balance [39]. Rats subjected to sleep deprivation for 18 h per day demonstrated an increase in the Mhc1 gene and protein expression (a protein that is characteristic of slow-twitch fibres) and a decrease in the Mhc2 gene and protein expression (a protein that is characteristic of fast-twitch fibres) in the masseter muscle after 7 and 14 days; values that returned to baseline levels after 21 days of sleep deprivation [40].…”

“…There are, however, some allied findings in rodents to prompt further investigation into this countermeasure. Monico-Netto et al [39] tested rats’ responses to 96 h of sleep deprivation, eight-week resistance training, and 96 h sleep deprivation following the eight-week resistance training protocol. Resistance training alone increased muscle mass and CSA, while sleep deprivation alone significantly reduced muscle mass and CSA.…”