Neither autophagy nor exercise training mode affect exercise-induced beneficial adaptations in high fat-fed mice

Exercise mitigates obesity-associated pathologies; however, there is controversy regarding optimal exercise interventions. Autophagy, is known to decrease during obesity and is an important moderator for exercise adaptations.

To investigate individual and combined effects of different exercise interventions and autophagy inhibition on exercise adaptations during obesity.

C57BL/6J mice initiated 45% high fat diet at 8 weeks of age. After 6 weeks of diet, animals were divided into moderate (MOD) or high intensity interval training interventions (HIIT), animals were further divided into autophagy inhibition or vehicle conditions (n = 10/group). Animals exercised and autophagy was inhibited 3X/week by NSC185058 injections, thereby blocking autophagosome formation. Interventions continued for 4 weeks.

High fat diet impaired glucose handling ∼17%; exercise interventions normalized glucoregulation to pre-high fat diet levels, without differences between any interventions. High fat diet induced ∼25% decrease in aerobic capacity, which returned to baseline after exercise interventions, with no differences between any interventions. No effects of autophagy inhibition were noted.

HIIT and MOD training confer similar health-related adaptations.