Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T04:10:56.678Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Intramyocellular triacylglycerol as a substrate source during exercise

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2007

Luc J. C. van Loon
Luc J. C. van Loon*
Affiliation:
Nutrition Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Departments of Movement Sciences and Human Biology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
*
Corresponding author: Dr Luc J. C. van Loon Fax: +31 43 3670976, Email: L.vanLoon@HB.Unimaas.nl
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The role of intramyocellular triacylglycerol (IMTG) as a substrate source during exercise has recently regained much attention as a result of the proposed functional relationship between IMTG accumulation and the development of insulin resistance. It has been speculated that elevated NEFA delivery and/or impaired fatty acid (FA) oxidation result in intramyocellular accumulation of triacylglycerol and FA metabolites, which are likely to induce defects in the insulin signalling cascade, causing insulin resistance. The progressive accumulation of IMTG in sedentary patients and patients who are obese and/or have type 2 diabetes should therefore form a major therapeutic target, and efforts should be made to develop interventions that prevent excess IMTG accretion by stimulating their rate of oxidation. Although regular exercise is likely to represent such an effective means, there is much controversy about the actual contribution of the IMTG pool as a substrate source during exercise. The apparent discrepancy in the published literature might be explained by differences in the applied research protocol and the selected subject population, but most of all by the techniques that have been employed to estimate IMTG use during exercise. Data obtained in trained-endurance athletes indicate that athletes can substantially reduce their IMTG pool following a single exercise session. With the growing awareness that skeletal muscle has a tremendous potential to oxidise IMTG during prolonged moderate-intensity exercise, more research is warranted to develop combined exercise, nutritional and/or pharmacological interventions that can stimulate IMTG oxidation in sedentary patients and patients who are obese and/or have type 2 diabetes.

Keywords

Muscle metabolismIntramuscular triacylglycerolsIntramyocellular lipidMagnetic resonance spectroscopyInsulin resistance
Type
Symposium 4: New methodologies and insights in the regulation of fat metabolism during exercise
Information
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 63 , Issue 2 , May 2004 , pp. 301 - 307
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2004

References

Blaak, EE, Van Aggel-Leijssen, DPC, Wagenmakers, AJM, Saris, WHM & Van Baak, MA (2000) Impaired oxidation of plasma-derived fatty acids in type 2 diabetic subjects during moderate-intensity exercise. Diabetes 49, 2105–2107.Google Scholar
Boden, G & Shulman, GI (2002) Free fatty acids in obesity and type 2 diabetes: defining their role in the development of insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction. European Journal of Clinical Investigation 32, Suppl. 3 14– 23 Suppl. 3.Google Scholar
Boesch, C, Decombaz, J, Slotboom, J & Kreis, R (1999) Observation of intramyocellular lipids by means of 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 58, 841–850.Google Scholar
Boesch, C & Kreis, R (2000) Observation of intramyocellular lipids by 1 H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 904, 25–31.Google Scholar
Boesch, C, Slotboom, J, Hoppeler, H & Kreis, R (1997) In vivo determination of intramyocellular lipids in human muscle by means of localized 1 H-MR-spectroscopy. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 37, 484–493.Google Scholar
Brechtel, K, Niess, AM, Machann, J, Rett, K, Schick, F, Claussen, CD, Dickhuth, HH, Haering, HU & Jacob, S (2001) Utilisation of intramyocellular lipids (IMCLs) during exercise as assessed by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS). Hormone and Metabolic Research 33, 63–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coyle, EF, Jeukendrup, AE, Oseto, MC, Hodgkinson, BJ & Zderic, TW (2001) Low-fat diet alters intramuscular substrates and reduces lipolysis and fat oxidation during exercise. American Journal of Physiology 280, E391–E398.Google Scholar
Decombaz, J, Fleith, M, Hoppeler, H, Kreis, R & Boesch, C (2000) Effect of diet on the replenishment of intramyocellular lipids after exercise. European Journal of Nutrition 39, 244–247.Google ScholarPubMed
Decombaz, J, Schmitt, B, Ith, M, Decarli, B, Diem, P, Kreis, R, Hoppeler, H & Boesch, C (2001) Postexercise fat intake repletes intramyocellular lipids but no faster in trained than in sedentary subjects. American Journal of Physiology 281, R760–R769.Google Scholar
Essen, B, Jansson, E, Henriksson, J, Taylor, AW & Saltin, B (1975) Metabolic characteristics of fibre types in human skeletal muscle. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 95, 153–165.Google Scholar
Goodpaster, BH, He, J, Watkins, S & Kelley, DE (2001) Skeletal muscle lipid content and insulin resistance: evidence for a paradox in endurance-trained athletes. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 86, 5755–5761.Google Scholar
Hoppeler, H, Howald, H, Conley, K, Lindstedt, SL, Claassen, H, Vock, P & Weibel, ER (1985) Endurance training in humans: aerobic capacity and structure of skeletal muscle. Journal of Applied Physiology 59, 320–327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Howald, H, Boesch, C, Kreis, R, Matter, S, Billeter, R, Essen-Gustavsson, B & Hoppeler, H (2002) Content of intramyocellular lipids derived by electron microscopy, biochemical assays, and 1 H-MR spectroscopy. Journal of Applied Physiology 92, 2264–2272.Google Scholar
Hulver, MW & Dohm, GL (2004) The molecular mechanism linking muscle fat accumulation to insulin resistance. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 63, 375–380.Google Scholar
Hwang, JH, Pan, JW, Heydari, S, Hetherington, HP & Stein, DT (2001) Regional differences in intramyocellular lipids in humans observed by in vivo 1 H-MR spectroscopic imaging. Journal of Applied Physiology 90, 1267–1274.Google Scholar
Johnson, NA, Stannard, SR, Mehalski, K, Trenell, MI, Sachinwalla, T, Thompson, CH & Thompson, MW (2003) Intramyocellular triacylglycerol in prolonged cycling with high- and low-carbohydrate availability. Journal of Applied Physiology 94, 1365–1372.Google Scholar
Kelley, DE & Mandarino, LJ (2000) Fuel selection in human skeletal muscle in insulin resistance: a reexamination. Diabetes 49, 677–683.Google Scholar
Kiens, B & Richter, EA (1998) Utilization of skeletal muscle triacylglycerol during postexercise recovery in humans. American Journal of Physiology 38, E332–E337.Google Scholar
Koopman, R, Schaart, G & Hesselink, MK (2001) Optimisation of oil red O staining permits combination with immunofluorescence and automated quantification of lipids. Histochemistry and Cell Biology 116, 63–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krssak, M, Petersen, KF, Bergeron, R, Price, T, Laurent, D, Rothman, DL, Roden, M & Shulman, GI (2000) Intramuscular glycogen and intramyocellular lipid utilization during prolonged exercise and recovery in man: a 13 C and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 85, 748–754.Google Scholar
Larson-Meyer, DE, Newcomer, BR & Hunter, GR (2002) Influence of endurance running and recovery diet on intramyocellular lipid content in women: a 1 H NMR study. American Journal of Physiology 282, E95–E106.Google Scholar
Levin, K, Daa-Schroeder, H, Alford, FP & Beck-Nielsen, H (2001) Morphometric documentation of abnormal intramyocellular fat storage and reduced glycogen in obese patients with Type II diabetes. Diabetologia 44, 824–833.Google Scholar
Malenfant, P, Joanisse, DR, Theriault, R, Goodpaster, BH, Kelley, DE & Simoneau, JA (2001) Fat content in individual muscle fibers of lean and obese subjects. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders 25, 1316–1321.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, WHD, Dalsky, GP, Hurley, BF, Matthews, DE, Bier, DM, Hagberg, JM, Rogers, MA, King, DS & Holloszy, JO (1993) Effect of endurance training on plasma free fatty acid turnover and oxidation during exercise. American Journal of Physiology 265, E708–E714.Google ScholarPubMed
Oscai, LB, Essig, DA & Palmer, WK (1990) Lipase regulation of muscle triglyceride hydrolysis. Journal of Applied Physiology 69, 1571–1577.Google Scholar
Phillips, SM, Green, HJ, Tarnopolsky, MA, Heigenhauser, GF, Hill, RE & Grant, SM (1996) Effects of training duration on substrate turnover and oxidation during exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology 81, 2182–2191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rasmussen, BB, Holmbäck, UC, Volpi, E Morio-Liondore, B, Paddon-Jones, D & Wolfe, RR (2002) Malonyl coenzyme A and the regulation of functional carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 activity and fat oxidation in human skeletal muscle. Journal of Clinical Investigation 110, 1687–1693.Google Scholar
Rico-Sanz, J, Hajnal, JV, Thomas, EL, Mierisova, S, Ala-Korpela, M & Bell, JD (1998) Intracellular and extracellular skeletal muscle triglyceride metabolism during alternating intensity exercise in humans. Journal of Physiology 510, 615–622.Google Scholar
Rico-Sanz, J, Moosavi, M, Thomas, EL, McCarthy, J, Coutts, GA, Saeed, N & Bell, JD (2000) In vivo evaluation of the effects of continuous exercise on skeletal muscle triglycerides in trained humans. Lipids 35, 1313–1318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roepstorff, C, Steffensen, CH, Madsen, M, Stallknecht, B, Kanstrup, IL, Richter, EA & Kiens, B (2002) Gender differences in substrate utilization during submaximal exercise in endurance-trained subjects. American Journal of Physiology 282, E435–E447.Google Scholar
Romijn, JA, Coyle, EF, Sidossis, LS, Gastaldelli, A, Horowitz, JF, Endert, E & Wolfe, RR (1993) Regulation of endogenous fat and carbohydrate metabolism in relation to exercise intensity and duration. American Journal of Physiology 265, E380–E391.Google Scholar
Sacchetti, M, Saltin, B, Osada, T & Van Hall, G (2002) Intramuscular fatty acid metabolism in contracting and non-contracting human skeletal muscle. Journal of Physiology (London) 540, 387–395.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schrauwen, P van Aggel Leijssen, DPC, Hul, G, Wagenmakers, AJM, Vidal, H, Saris, WHM & Van Baak, MA (2002) The effect of a 3-month low-intensity endurance training program on fat oxidation and acetyl-CoA carboxylase-2 expression. Diabetes 51, 2220–2226.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schrauwen, P van Aggel Leijssen, DPC, Lichtenbelt, WDV, Van Baak, MA, Gijsen, AP & Wagenmakers, AJM (1998) Validation of the [1,2-C 13 ]acetate recovery factor for correction of [U-C 13 ]palmitate oxidation. Journal of Physiology (London) 513, 215–223.Google Scholar
Schrauwen, P, Wagenmakers, AJM, Van Marken-Lichtenbelt, WD, Saris, WHM & Westerterp, KR (2000) The increase in fat oxidation on a high fat diet is accompanied by an increase in triglyceride-derived fatty acid oxidation. Diabetes 49, 640–646.Google Scholar
Schrauwen-Hinderling, VB, Schrauwen, P, Hesselink, MK, Van Engelshoven, JM, Nicolay, K, Saris, WH, Kessels, AG & Kooi, ME (2003) The increase in intramyocellular lipid content is a very early response to training. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 88, 1610–1616.Google Scholar
Shulman, GI (2000) Cellular mechanisms of insulin resistance. Journal of Clinical Investigation 106, 171–176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sidossis, LS, Coggan, AR, Gastaldelli, A & Wolfe, RR (1995) A new correction factor for use in tracer estimations of plasma fatty acid oxidation. American Journal of Physiology 269, E649–E656.Google Scholar
Sidossis, LS, Wolfe, RR & Coggan, AR (1998) Regulation of fatty acid oxidation in untrained vs. trained men during exercise. American Journal of Physiology 274, E510–E515.Google Scholar
Steffensen, CH, Roepstorff, C, Madsen, M & Kiens, B (2002) Myocellular triacylglycerol breakdown in females but not in males during exercise. American Journal of Physiology 282, E634–E642.Google Scholar
Van Hall, G Gonzalez-Alonso, J, Sacchetti, M & Saltin, B (1999) Skeletal muscle substrate metabolism during exercise: methodological considerations. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 58, 899–912.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Hall, G, Sacchetti, M, Radegran, G & Saltin, B (2002) Human skeletal muscle fatty acid and glycerol metabolism during rest, exercise and recovery. Journal of Physiology (London) 543, 1047–1058.Google Scholar
Van Loon, LJC, Greenhaff, PL, Constantin-Teodosiu, D, Saris, WHM & Wagenmakers, AJM (2001) The effects of increasing exercise intensity on muscle fuel utilisation in humans. Journal of Physiology (London) 536, 295–304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Loon, LJC, Koopman, R, Schrauwen, P, Stegen, J & Wagenmakers, AJ (2003a) The use of the [1,2– 13 C] acetate recovery factor in metabolic research. European Journal of Applied Physiology 89, 377–383.Google Scholar
Van Loon, LJC, Koopman, R, Stegen, JHCH, Wagenmakers, AJM, Keizer, HA & Saris, WHM (2003b) Intramyocellular lipids form an important substrate source during moderate intensity exercise in endurance trained males in a fasted state. Journal of Physiology (London) 553, 611–625.Google Scholar
Van Loon, LJC, Schrauwen-Hinderling, VB, Koopman, R, Wagenmakers, AJM, Hesselink, MK, Schaart, G, Kooi, ME & Saris, WHM (2003c) Influence of prolonged endurance cycling and recovery diet on intramuscular triglyceride content in humans. American Journal of Physiology 285, E804–E811.Google Scholar
Watt, MJ, Heigenhauser, GJ & Spriet, LL (2002) Intramuscular triacylglycerol utilization in human skeletal muscle during exercise: is there a controversy. Journal of Applied Physiology 93, 1185–1195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wendling, PS, Peters, SJ, Heigenhauser, GJ & Spriet, LL (1996) Variability of triacylglycerol content in human skeletal muscle biopsy samples. Journal of Applied Physiology 81, 1150–1155.Google Scholar