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While under physiological conditions angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an antagonist of vasoconstrictive agents in the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), in the context of SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) ACE2 serves as the gateway into cells. Furthermore, RAAS has previously been shown to be influenced by exercise training and is suggested to be involved in skeletal muscle mass maintenance. Given this connection, the investigation of circulating ACE2 plasma protein concentration before and following acute and chronic endurance and resistance exercise could increase the understanding of the implications of the exposure of athletes to SARS‐CoV‐2. Therefore, this study investigated levels of circulating ACE2 in lifelong high‐level trained endurance and resistance athletes and control subjects in response to either acute endurance or resistance exercise. Results show no baseline differences in absolute ACE2 concentration between groups, but a strong negative correlation with levels of fitness and positive correlation with BMI in control subjects. Furthermore, acute endurance exercise significantly increased ACE2 levels across all groups, but only in the strength group in response to resistance exercise. This indicates that circulating ACE2 plasma levels are influenced by levels of fitness and health, and that acute endurance exercise has a stronger effect on plasma ACE2 levels than resistance exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this observational study was to determine the immune status and function in young adults with cerebral palsy (CP) in comparison to typically developing individuals. Method: Blood samples from 12 individuals with CP (five males, seven females; mean age: 25 years 1 month (5 years 9 months); age range: 19–38 years) and 17 typically developing individuals (eight males, nine females; mean age: 31 years 4 months (6 years 2 months); age range: 20–40 years) were collected before, immediately after, and 1 hour after 45 minutes of frame running or running respectively. Independent t‐tests were used to compare heart rate, level of exertion, and baseline cell proportions between groups. Mixed model analysis of variance was utilized to investigate immune cell responses to exercise across groups. Results: Baseline levels of gamma delta (TCRγδ+) T‐cells were significantly higher (absolute percentage: +2.65, p = 0.028) in the individuals with CP. Several cell populations showed similar significant changes after exercise in both CP and typically developing groups. Cytotoxic (CD8+) T‐cells were only significantly elevated immediately after exercise in the typically developing participants (p < 0.01). Individuals with CP exhibited significantly lower heart rates (−11.1%, p < 0.01), despite similar ratings of perceived exertion. Interpretation: Elevated baseline TCRγδ+ T‐cells may indicate low‐grade inflammation in adults with CP. Although most of the cell populations showed typical responses to endurance exercise, the absence of response in CD8+ T‐cells in individuals with CP may indicate the need for higher intensity during exercise. What this paper adds: TCRγδ+ T‐cell baseline levels are elevated in adults with cerebral palsy (CP).The CD8+ T‐cell response to exercise was blunted in adults with CP.Exercise intensity is decisive for CD8+ T‐cell responses in individuals with CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The influence on acute skeletal muscle transcriptomics of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), as compared to established exercises, is poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the effects on global mRNA‐expression in the quadriceps muscle early after a single NMES‐session, compared to the effects of voluntary knee extension exercise (EX), and to explore the discomfort level. Methods: Global vastus lateralis muscle gene expression was assessed (RNA‐sequencing) in 30 healthy participants, before and 3 h after a 30‐min session of NMES and/or EX. The NMES‐treatment was applied using textile electrodes integrated in pants and set to 20% of each participant's pre‐tested MVC mean (±SD) 200 (±80) Nm. Discomfort was assessed using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, 0–10). The EX‐protocol was performed at 80% of 1‐repetition‐maximum. Results: NMES at 20% of MVC resulted in VAS below 4 and induced 4448 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with 80%‐overlap of the 2571 DEGs of EX. Genes well‐known to be up‐regulated following exercise, for example, PPARGC1A, ABRA, VEGFA, and GDNF, were also up‐regulated by NMES. Gene set enrichment analysis demonstrated many common pathways after EX and NMES. Also, some pathways were exclusive to either EX, for example, muscle tissue proliferation, or to NMES, for example, neurite outgrowth and connective tissue proliferation. Conclusion: A 30‐min NMES‐session at 20% of MVC with NMES‐pants, which can be applied with an acceptable level of discomfort, induces over 4000 DEGs, of which 80%‐overlap with DEGs of EX. NMES can induce exercise‐like molecular effects, that potentially can lead to health and performance benefits in individuals who are unable to perform resistance exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise training has tremendous systemic tissue-specific health benefits, but the molecular adaptations to long-term exercise training are not completely understood. We investigated the skeletal muscle proteome of highly endurance-trained, strength-trained, and untrained individuals and performed exercise- and sex-specific analyses. Of the 6,000+ proteins identified, >650 were differentially expressed in endurance-trained individuals compared with controls. Strikingly, 92% of the shared proteins with higher expression in both the male and female endurance groups were known mitochondrial. In contrast to the findings in endurance-trained individuals, minimal differences were found in strength-trained individuals and between females and males. Lastly, a co-expression network and comparative literature analysis revealed key proteins and pathways related to the health benefits of exercise, which were primarily related to differences in mitochondrial proteins. This network is available as an interactive database resource where investigators can correlate clinical data with global gene and protein expression data for hypothesis generation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2023 The Author(s).)