Effect of Eight Weeks Sprint Interval Training on Myogenin Rate in Aged Rats Skeletal Muscle Tissue

Sprint training by more using fast twitch fibers and likely changes in muscle phenotype, can be effective in improving performance of older people. The purpose of this study was evaluating effect of eight weeks Sprint Interval Training (SIT) on myogenin rate in wistar aged rats fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles.

A total of twenty aged wistar rats with average weight of 489±72/43 (gr) were prepared and after one week familiarization with the laboratory conditions, were randomly divided into two groups: training (n=10) and control (n=10). SIT Training was included incremental and intermittent running on treadmill that performed three-four times in the week for eight weeks. Then were isolated the soleus and Extensor Digitorum Longus (EDL) muscles. Finally, we used western blot method to measure protein changes in the muscle tissue and t-test evaluating the information.

The results showed that although myogenin increased in both types of muscles but increasing was higher in fast muscle. So that in the EDL muscle, it significantly increased more than two times (99%), whereas increased only 1/3 times (29%) in the soleus muscle and changes were not significant) P

So fast-twitch muscle is targeted by this study protocol likely. Accordingly, myogenin was higher in the EDL muscle. On the other hand, this increasing probably due to the phenotype changes of muscle fibers or as a result of muscle hypertrophy.