The effect of aerobic exercise with and without blood flow restriction on lactate, cortisol and PGC-1α response in human skeletal muscle

This study aimed to examine the effect of aerobic exercise with and without BFR on blood lactate, cortisol and PGC-1α response in human skeletal muscle.

On two different occasions, five healthy untrained male subjects (mean±SE; age:  33.4±1.02 years, height: 173.9±4.02 cm, body mass: 79.64±4.69 kg), were required to perform (i) a BFR aerobic exercise at an exercise intensity of 40 % of VO2max; and (ii) similar exercise bouts without BFR (Ctrl). For each condition, baseline and 3 h post-exercise muscle biopsy samples (vastus lateralis) were performed for PGC-1α protein expression analysis. Venous blood samples were also collected at pre-exercise, immediately and 2 h post-exercise to measure changes in blood lactate and serum cortisol.

PGC-1α protein content was significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 3-h post-exercise with BFR compared with Ctrl. Blood lactate and serum cortisol did not significantly change from baseline to immediately after exercise and at 2-h post exercise.

Metabolic stimuli are not a mechanism to mediate cell signaling network responsible for mitochondrial biogenesis. However, the addition of blood flow restriction during aerobic exercise induces an increase in PGC-1α to regulate mitochondrial biogenesis.