Effect of HIIT and Q10 supplementation on soleus muscle PGC-1α level citrate synthase activity in obese male rats

Obesity suppreses muscle mitochondorial biogenesis and the effects of HIIT and Q10 in this area remains to be more investigated. The aim was to investigate the concomitant effects of HIIT and Q10 supplementation on two indices of mitochondorial biogenesis in obese male rats’ skeletal muscle.48 male rats[16 weeks, obese group weight: 272to372gr(308.8±22.36gr); normal weight: 140 to 197gr (158.622.21gr)] were randomized into six groups including normal weight, obese reference, obese control, obese HIIT, obese Q10 and obese HIIT concomitany with Q10 groups. Obesity was induced by high fat diet. Q10 supplentation 500 mg/kg.bw.day and HIIT(10 activity bouts for 4 min at 85-90% of v VO2 peak with 2min rest intervals) were done for 12 weeks. Western blot and spectrophotometery methods were respectively used to quantify the variables and the data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. A lower soleus PGC-1α content were observed in obese reference(P=0.001) and also obese control(P=0.003) groups compared to normal weight group with higher citrate synthase activity (P=0.039,P=0.031 respectively) in both of them. HIIT(P=0.001), Q10(P=0.001) and their concomitment (P=0.001) elevated PGC-1α expression to levels even higher than normal weight group, with more efficacy were noted for HIIT rather than Q10(P=0.017). None of interventions changed CS activity (P>0.05). It can be concluded that obesity suppreses muscle mitochondorial biogenesis and HIIT efficiently compensates this condition and even elevates muscle mitochondorial biogenesis compared to normal weight rats. Q10 supplementation has also beneficial effects, although weaker than HIIT. However, more investigations remain to be done because of similar evidence and study limmitations.