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Combined Effects of Ketogenic Diet and Aerobic Exercise on Skeletal Muscle Fiber Remodeling and Metabolic Adaptation in Simulated Microgravity Mice.

Metabolites
April 13, 2025
Jun Chen et al. (9 authors)
Journal ArticleAnimal Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether combining a ketogenic diet with aerobic exercise could mitigate skeletal muscle atrophy and endurance impairment induced by simulated microgravity in mice.

Results Summary

The combination of a ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise significantly attenuated muscle atrophy and improved exercise endurance by promoting a shift from glycolytic to oxidative muscle fibers and enhancing lipid metabolism gene expression. The study was limited to a mouse model and simulated microgravity conditions, which may not fully translate to human physiology.

Population

Seven-week-old male C57BL/6J mice subjected to hindlimb unloading to simulate microgravity.

Effective Dosage

Moderate-intensity treadmill running (12 m/min, 60 min/day, 6 days/week).

Duration

8 weeks, with hindlimb unloading applied during the last two weeks.

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (13)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
hindlimb unloading
decrease
body weight
mice
-
significantly decreased
#1
hindlimb unloading
increase
muscle atrophy
mice
-
induced
#2
hindlimb unloading
decrease
exercise endurance
mice
-
reduced
#3
combination of ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise
decrease
adverse effects of hindlimb unloading
hindlimb-unloaded mice
-
significantly attenuated
#4
combination of ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise
increase
proportions of oxidative muscle fibers (MyHC-I)
hindlimb-unloaded mice
-
increased
#5
combination of ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise
decrease
proportions of glycolytic fibers (MyHC-IIb)
hindlimb-unloaded mice
-
decreased
#6
combination of ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise
increase
expression of lipid metabolism-associated genes (CPT-1b, HADH, PGC-1α, FGF21)
hindlimb-unloaded mice
-
upregulated
#7
combination of ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise
increase
lipid metabolism and ketone utilization
hindlimb-unloaded mice
-
enhancing
#8
combination of ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise
increase
exercise performance
hindlimb-unloaded mice
-
improved
#9
combination of ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise
increase
time to exhaustion
KHE group
-
increased
#10
combination of ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise
decrease
simulated microgravity-induced skeletal muscle atrophy and endurance impairment
hindlimb-unloaded mice
-
effectively ameliorates
#11
combination of ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise
increase
fiber-type transition from MyHC-IIb to MyHC-I
hindlimb-unloaded mice
-
promoting
#12
combination of ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise
increase
lipid metabolism gene expression (CPT-1b, HADH, and PGC-1α)
hindlimb-unloaded mice
-
enhancing
#13
Abstract

Objective: Prolonged microgravity environments impair skeletal muscle homeostasis by triggering fiber-type transitions and metabolic dysregulation. Although exercise and nutritional interventions may alleviate disuse atrophy, their synergistic effects under microgravity conditions remain poorly characterized. This study investigated the effects of an 8-week ketogenic diet combined with aerobic exercise in hindlimb-unloaded mice on muscle fiber remodeling and metabolic adaptation. Methods: Seven-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups: normal diet control (NC), normal diet with hindlimb unloading (NH), normal diet with hindlimb unloading and exercise (NHE), ketogenic diet control (KC), ketogenic diet with hindlimb unloading (KH), and ketogenic diet with hindlimb unloading and exercise (KHE). During the last two weeks of intervention, hindlimb unloading was applied to simulate microgravity. Aerobic exercise groups performed moderate-intensity treadmill running (12 m/min, 60 min/day, and 6 days/week) for 8 weeks. Body weight, blood ketone, and glucose levels were measured weekly. Post-intervention assessments included the respiratory exchange ratio (RER), exhaustive exercise performance tests, and biochemical analyses of blood metabolic parameters. The skeletal muscle fiber-type composition was evaluated via immunofluorescence staining, lipid deposition was assessed using Oil Red O staining, glycogen content was analyzed by Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, and gene expression was quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Results: Hindlimb unloading significantly decreased body weight, induced muscle atrophy, and reduced exercise endurance in mice. However, the combination of KD and aerobic exercise significantly attenuated these adverse effects, as evidenced by increased proportions of oxidative muscle fibers (MyHC-I) and decreased proportions of glycolytic fibers (MyHC-IIb). Additionally, this combined intervention upregulated the expression of lipid metabolism-associated genes, including CPT-1b, HADH, PGC-1α, and FGF21, enhancing lipid metabolism and ketone utilization. These metabolic adaptations corresponded with improved exercise performance, demonstrated by the increased time to exhaustion in the KHE group compared to other hindlimb unloading groups. Conclusions: The combination of a ketogenic diet and aerobic exercise effectively ameliorates simulated microgravity-induced skeletal muscle atrophy and endurance impairment, primarily by promoting a fiber-type transition from MyHC-IIb to MyHC-I and enhancing lipid metabolism gene expression (CPT-1b, HADH, and PGC-1α). These findings underscore the potential therapeutic value of combined dietary and exercise interventions for mitigating muscle atrophy under simulated microgravity conditions.

Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy80/10
Quality80/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score1.30
Normalized Score0.68
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