MAPK, androgen, and glucocorticoid receptor phosphorylation following high-frequency resistance exercise...

Stressful training with insufficient recovery can impair muscle performance. Expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) has been reported at rest following overreaching and overtraining. The acute myocellular exercise response to stressful training with insufficient recovery has not been investigated. We investigated MAPK, androgen, and glucocorticoid receptor phosphorylation following a period of stressful training.

Sixteen resistance-trained men were matched on barbell squat 1 repetition maximum strength and randomized into a group that performed normal training or stressful training with insufficient recovery. The control group (CON) performed three speed-squat training sessions on non-consecutive days, while the stressful training group (NFOR) performed 15 training sessions over 7.5 days. Resting and post-exercise skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained prior to (T1) and after the training period (T2). Samples were analyzed for total and phosphorylated androgen receptor (AR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and MAPKs (ERK, JNK, and p38).

Total AR were down-regulated post-exercise at T2 in NFOR only. Phospho-AR at ser515 increased in both groups post-exercise at T1; however, ser515 only increased at T2 in NFOR. Phosphorylated ERK, JNK, and p38 increased post-exercise in CON and NFOR at T1 and T2. Post-exercise phospho-p38 was blunted in NFOR at T2 compared to T1. After the training intervention, resting phospho-p38 was higher in NFOR compared to T1. At T2, post-exercise phospho-GR at ser226 was lower compared to T1, and resting levels increased in NFOR.

Steroid receptors are phosphorylated after acute resistance exercise, and in addition to MAPKs, are differentially regulated after stressful training with insufficient recovery.