Effects of High-intensity Interval Training with Hawthorn Supplementation on Mitochondrial Biogenesis Proteins in Muscle Tissues of Elderly Male Rats

It has been shown that dysfunction in mitochondrial biogenesis of the skeletal muscles induced by elderly can cause various diseases. The aim of this study was to assess effects of eight weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with hawthorn (Haw) supplementation on PGC-1α and TFAM in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of elderly male rats.

In this experimental study, 36 elderly rats were randomly assigned into the following groups of control (CON), HIIT and Haw as well a combination of the two latter ones (COM, HIIT and Haw). The HIIT program consisted of 6 to 9 1-min bouts of running on a treadmill at a speed of 16 to 25 m/min with 1-m rests between the intervals. During the intervention, rats in Haw and COM groups were fed (roughly 100 mg/kg/body weight) via gavage. The PGC-1α and TFAM proteins in EDL muscles were assessed using western blot method.

The PGC-1α protein in COM group was significantly higher than that in CON (p = 0.0001), HIIT (p = 0.008) and Haw (p = 0.0001) groups and was higher in HIIT (p = 0.0001) and Haw (p = 0.0001) groups than CON group. The TFAM protein increased significantly in COM group, compared to CON (p = 0.0001), HIIT (p = 0.014) and Haw (p = 0.0001) groups. Furthermore, this protein was higher in HIIT group, compared to CON (p = 0.0001) and Haw (p = 0.0001) groups. 

These findings have indicated that combination of HIIT and Haw can cause greater increases in mitochondrial biogenesis proteins.