Training Load | Mitochondria

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Training load is a combination of intensity and volume and directly stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis to improve the muscle’s ability to produce energy. Performance Medicine™ monitors training load, HRV, and other metrics via a clinical-grade device developed by industry leader by Firstbeat Sports.

Higher training loads generally lead to greater increases in mitochondrial exercise creates cellular stress that signals the creation of new mitochondria.

Excessive or poorly managed training may have negative consequences on mitochondrial function, suggesting a non-linear or curvilinear relationship between load and adaptation. 

This adaptation enhances physical performance and metabolic health. Excessive training load can lead to a decline in mitochondrial function and impaired glucose control. Monitoring training load is crucial for optimizing benefits and avoiding potential harm.

Taining Load

→ Stimulates mitochondrial growth: Exercise training increases mitochondrial capacity through processes like biogenesis [creating new mitochondria], fusion [joining them], and fission [breaking them apart];
→ Increases content: A higher training load [intensity multiplied by volume] leads to greater increases in mitochondria and improvements in mitochondrial content correlate with enhanced VO2 max;
→ Improves function: Exercise training enhances the efficiency of mitochondria, which is vital for meeting energy demands during physical activity;
→ Enhances capillary proliferation: Training also increases the number of capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen to muscle fibers. Endurance training is particularly effective at increasing capillary density. 

Training Risks:

→ Mitochondrial dysfunction: A training load that is too high can cause a reduction in intrinsic mitochondrial function;
→ Impaired glucose control: Excessive training can negatively impact glucose tolerance and insulin secretion;
→ Injury: A rapid spike in training load relative to your training history can increase the risk of injury Acute Chronic Workload Ratio [AWCR].

Keys: 

→ Find the right balance: Moderate and consistent training is beneficial for mitochondrial adaptation. However, it is possible to overtrain, which can be counterproductive;
→ Monitor your load: Pay attention to both intensity and volume to optimize your gains and prevent overtraining;
→ Listen to your body: If you experience fatigue or other negative symptoms, it may be a sign that your training load is too high

Endurance training enhances mitochondrial function by increasing their number and efficiency through a process called mitochondrial biogenesis.

This involves creating more mitochondria in muscle cells to improve the body’s ability to produce energy from oxygen, glucose, and fatty acids, leading to better stamina and endurance.

Both moderate-intensity steady-state exercise [distance running] and high-intensity interval training [HIIT] stimulate these adaptations. 

Endurance Training + Mitochondria

→ Mitochondrial biogenesis: Endurance exercise triggers the creation of new mitochondria within muscle cells to meet increased energy demands;
→ Increased efficiency: It boosts the number of proteins involved in energy production, such as those in the electron transport chain and the TCA cycle, making energy conversion more efficient;
→ Enhanced oxygen utilization: The number of capillaries, which deliver oxygen to muscles, increases, making the delivery of oxygen more efficient;
→ Improved energy substrates: Mitochondria become better at using both glucose and fatty acids for energy production

Exercise Type

→ Moderate-intensity continuous training [MICT – Zone 2]: Activities like long-distance running, cycling, or swimming at a consistent, conversational pace build a large number of mitochondria in slow-twitch muscle fibers, improving overall endurance and health;
→ High-intensity interval training [HIIT]: While training at higher intensities, your body also increases its mitochondrial content and efficiency, similar to moderate-intensity exercise;
→ Combined training: A balanced program that includes both moderate-intensity and high-intensity workouts is highly effective for maximizing mitochondrial adaptations and improving overall fitness.

Training Load + Mitochondrial Biogenesis

→ Stimulus adaptation: Exercise is a stress which triggers molecular pathways that stimulate the production of new mitochondria;
→ Intensity and volume: Both the intensity and volume of training are crucial. A higher intensity can compensate for a lower volume, and vice versa;
→ Response level: The amount of mitochondrial content increase is related to the change in exercise stimulus, with a ~2-3:1 ratio between the increase in mitochondrial content and the increase in VO2 max

Exercise:

→ Aerobic and high-intensity training: These are particularly effective at stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis, leading to increased mitochondrial density and aerobic capacity;
→ Resistance training: Can increase mitochondrial biogenesis, especially with high-load resistance training combined with protein intake, though some studies show no change in mitochondrial content with chronic high-load training. Mitochondrial biogenesis and ribosome biogenesis, often compete with resistance training prioritizing the latter;
→ Excessive training: Training beyond a certain threshold can lead to a functional decline, suggesting there is an upper limit beyond which benefits may diminish, and negative effects can occur.

The Keys:

→ A consistent training load is needed to increase mitochondrial biogenesis;
→ Optimal training load depends on one’s fitness level and can be a combination of intensity and volume;
→ It is important to monitor and manage training to avoid excessive stress [overtraining].

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