Small non-coding RNAs are altered by short-term sprint interval training in men

Abstract

Small non‐coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as important molecules for normal biological processes and are deregulated in disease. Exercise training is a powerful therapeutic strategy that prevents cardiometabolic disease and improves cardiorespiratory fitness and performance. Despite the known systemic health benefits of exercise training, the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Recent evidence suggests a role for epigenetic mechanisms, such as microRNAs, but whether other small ncRNAs are modulated by chronic exercise training is unknown. Here, we used small RNA sequencing to explore whether sprint interval training (SIT) controls the abundance of circulating small ncRNAs in human whole blood samples. Ten healthy men performed SIT three times a week for 6 weeks. After training, subjects showed marked improvements in maximal oxygen consumption and cycling performance with concurrent changes to the abundance of diverse species of circulating small ncRNAs (n = 1266 small ncRNAs, n = 13 microRNAs, q < 0.05). Twelve microRNAs altered by 6 weeks of SIT were ubiquitously expressed microRNAs and two regulated important signaling pathways, including p53, thyroid hormone and cell cycle signaling. MicroRNAs altered by 6 weeks of SIT were unchanged after a single session of SIT (n = 24, all P > 0.05). Relative to older individuals, younger subjects exhibited an increased acute SIT‐induced fold change in miR‐1301‐3p (P = 0.02) – a microRNA predicted to target mRNAs involved in alternative splicing, phosphoprotein and chromosomal rearrangement processes (all P < 0.001). Our findings indicate many species of circulating small ncRNAs are modulated by exercise training and that they could control signaling pathways responsible for health benefits achieved from exercise.

Circulating and Adipose Tissue miRNAs in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Responses to High-Intensity Interval Training

“…Additionally, diverse sampling timepoint (24 h post last training session in the study by Barber et al (2019) compared to≥48 h in our study) and study participants (middle aged men and women without PCOS compared to women with PCOS in our study) may, in part, help explain these divergent findings. Parr et al (2016) , Denham et al (2018) , Barber et al (2019) , and Da Silva et al (2019) have previously reported that chronic exercise training programs can significantly modulate c-miRNA expression in healthy individuals and in those with overweight/obesity. The physiological significance of such responses are unclear and difficult to explain due to a variety of different miRNA quantification techniques reported, differences in sampling time points, a range of exercise protocols, and divergent clinical cohorts ( Gomes et al, 2015 ).…”

Epigenetic control of exercise adaptations in the equine athlete: Current evidence and future directions

“…Despite the erroneous early views that non‐coding DNA was non‐function—“junk”—it is now clear that non‐coding RNAs have critical roles in physiological and disease processes. In humans, there is accumulating evidence that circulating small ncRNAs, particularly miRNAs, are reflective of exercise adaptations (eg cardiac hypertrophy, 49 miR‐378 and skeletal muscle hypertrophy, 140 miR‐133a‐3p and ‐370 with muscular strength improvements, 133 miR‐1‐3p, ‐486‐5p and miR‐133a‐3p, miR‐210, miR‐222 and ) 141‐144 . Thus, both genetic and epigenetic factors could serve as biomarkers of exercise traits, including or endo‐phenotypes that are critical to running performance (eg mitochondrial content, heart size, etc.).…”