Long-term resistance exercise-induced muscular hypertrophy is associated with autophagy modulation in rats

Elevation of anabolism and concurrent suppression of catabolism are critical metabolic adaptations for muscular hypertrophy in response to resistance exercise (RE). Here, we investigated if RE-induced muscular hypertrophy is acquired by modulating a critical catabolic process autophagy. Male Wistar Hannover rats (14 weeks old) were randomly assigned to either sedentary control (SC, n = 10) or resistance exercise (RE, n = 10). RE elicited significant hypertrophy of flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscles in parallel with enhancement in anabolic signaling pathways (phosphorylation of AKT, mTOR, and p70S6K). Importantly, RE-treated FDP muscle exhibited a significant decline in autophagy evidenced by diminished phosphorylation levels of AMPK, a decrease in LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, an increase in p62 level, and a decline in active form of lysosomal protease CATHEPSIN L in the absence of alterations of key autophagy proteins: ULK1 phosphorylation, BECLIN1, and BNIP3. Our study suggests that RE-induced hypertrophy is achieved by potentiating anabolism and restricting autophagy-induced catabolism.