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. 2020 Mar 27;12(4):930.
doi: 10.3390/nu12040930.

Calorie Restriction Improves Physical Performance and Modulates the Antioxidant and Inflammatory Responses to Acute Exercise

Xavier Capó  1   2 , Miquel Martorell  1   3 , Miguel D Ferrer  1   2 , Antoni Sureda  1   2   4 , Victoria Pons  5 , Juan C Domingo  6 , Franchek Drobnic  5 , Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez  7 , Belén Leyva-Vela  8 , José M Sarabia  9 , María Herranz-López  10 , Enrique Roche  4   11 , Josep A Tur  1   2   4 , Antoni Pons  1   2   4
Affiliations

Calorie Restriction Improves Physical Performance and Modulates the Antioxidant and Inflammatory Responses to Acute Exercise

Xavier Capó et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Our aim was to characterize the effects of calorie restriction on the anthropometric characteristics and physical performance of sportsmen and to evaluate the effects of calorie restriction and acute exercise on mitochondria energetics, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Twenty volunteer taekwondo practitioners undertook a calorie restriction of 30-40% on three alternate days a week for one month. Eleven volunteer sportsmen participated as controls. Both groups performed an energy efficiency test to evaluate physical performance, and samples were taken before and after exercise. The total weight of participants significantly decreased (5.9%) after calorie restriction, while the efficiency of work and the contributions of fat to obtain energy were enhanced by calorie restriction. No significant differences induced by acute exercise were observed in individual non-esterified fatty acid percentage or oxidative stress markers. Calorie restriction downregulated the basal gene expression of nitric oxide synthase, antioxidant enzymes, mitochondrial uncoupling proteins, and repairing stress proteins, but it enhanced the expression of sirtuins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In conclusion, one month of calorie restriction decreases body weight and increases physical performance, enhancing energy efficiency, moderating the antioxidant and inflammatory basal gene expression, and influencing its response to acute exercise.

Keywords: calorie restriction; exercise; fatty acids; oxidative stress; plasma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagram of the treatment time line. RC—restricted calorie.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Content of non-esterified fatty acids in plasma, 20:3 was the 20:3n6 and 20:3n3 mixture. Values are represented as mean ± SEM. Statistical analysis: two-way ANOVA, p < 0.05. CR: Calorie restriction.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) gene expression. Values are represented as mean ± SEM. Statistical analysis: two-way ANOVA, p < 0.05. Different letters indicate significant differences between groups. (A) Inflammatory gene expression (B) Antioxidant gene expression
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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