Novel Transcriptomic Network Dynamics in Response to Divergent Acute Exercise Challenges in Young Adults

This study measured the transcriptome-wide response in skeletal muscle and circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) in young adults randomized to a single exposure of TRAD (n=21, 12M/9F, 22±3y) or HITT (n=19, 11M/8F, 22±2y) exercise. Next-generation sequencing captured small (<200nt), long (>200nt), and circular RNA species in muscle and EVs. In parallel, data streams were analyzed to identify transcripts differentially expressed (|log2FC|>1, FDR=0.05) immediately (h0, EVs only), h3, and h24 postexercise within and between exercise doses. Strongly-trending responsive transcripts (FDR<0.2) underwent singular value decomposition to summarize the data structure into latent variables, LVs) deconvolving inter-regulatory relationships across transcripts; LVs were compared across time and exercise dose. Overall design: Forty young, healthy adults underwent a single acute exercise bout in either traditional (TRAD) combined training consisting of treadmill running and resistance exercise or high-intensity tactical training (HITT), consisting of high-intensity circuit training and resistance exercise. Biospecimens were collected before (pre, skeletal muscle and blood), immediately post (h0, blood only), and h3 and h24 postexercise (both muscle and blood at both timepoints). RNA was isolated from muscle homogenate and serum-isolated extracellular vesicles (EVs) and processed to undergo next-generation sequencing of long, smal, and circularl RNA.