Effects of exercise and cold exposure on branched-chain amino acids catabolism

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The stress of cold exposure increases utilization of protein for energy. Exercise training also promotes protein degradation in skeletal muscle and increases its amino acids catabolism. Therefore, protein consumption in cold-condition sports is greater compared to that in comfortable-condition sports, and the important muscles for performance may be damaged. We examined the effects of exercise training and the stress of cold exposure on a branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKD) activity in rat skeletal muscle, which is the rate-limiting enzyme of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) catabolism. Total activity and activity state (actual activity / total activity) of BCKD in rat skeletal muscle were significantly elevated by exercise training in cold exposure for 3 weeks. These results suggest that exercise training in cold exposure for 3 weeks enhances not only BCAAs catabolism under the resting condition but also the capacity for catabolism during exercise in rat skeletal muscle. In addition, cold exposure for 3 weeks significantly inhibited weight gain. But exercise training in cold exposure 3 weeks led to improve the stagnation of weight gain.