Fast and slow muscle fiber transcriptome dynamics with lifelong endurance exercise

We investigated fast and slow muscle fiber transcriptome exercise dynamics among three groups of men: lifelong exercisers (LLE, n = 8, 74 +/- 1 yr), old healthy nonexercisers (OH, n = 9, 75 +/- 1 yr), and young exercisers (YE, n = 8, 25 +/- 1 yr). On average, LLE had exercised similar to 4 daywk(-1) for similar to 8 hwk(-1) over 53 +/- 2 years. Muscle biopsies were obtained pre- and 4 h postresistance exercise (3 x 10 knee extensions at 70% 1-RM). Fast and slow fiber size and function were assessed preexercise with fast and slow RNA-seq profiles examined pre- and postexercise. LLE fast fiber size was similar to OH, which was similar to 30% smaller than YE (P < 0.05) with contractile function variables among groups, resulting in lower power in LLE (P < 0.05). LLE slow fibers were similar to 30% larger and more powerful compared with YE and OH (P < 0.05). At the transcriptome level, fast fibers were more responsive to resistance exercise compared with slow fibers among all three cohorts (P < 0.05). Exercise induced a comprehensive biological response in fast fibers (P < 0.05) including transcription, signaling, skeletal muscle cell differentiation, and metabolism with vast differences among the groups. Fast fibers from YE exhibited a growth and metabolic signature, with LLE being primarily metabolic, and OH showing a strong stress-related response. In slow fibers, only LLE exhibited a biological response to exercise (P < 0.05), which was related to ketone and lipid metabolism. The divergent exercise transcriptome signatures provide novel insight into the molecular regulation in fast and slow fibers with age and exercise and suggest that the similar to 5% weekly exercise time commitment of the lifelong exercisers provided a powerful investment for fast and slow muscle fiber metabolic health at the molecular level.