Abstracts Division 2

41. Personalized fiber intake, leading to short chain fatty acid production, increases exercise performance, but SCFA modulation of glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes is not associated with the effects on endogenous GSH levels

B.Otten1, M. Aardema1, E. Swolfs1 , MMJPE. Sthijns*1, FJ. Troost*1,2

*
These authors share last authorship
Campus Venlo, Centre for Healthy Eating and Food Innovation, Venlo,  Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Dietary fibers are subjected to saccharolytic fermentation by the gut microbiota. This leads to production of favorable metabolites such as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which promote human health although it’s mechanism of action is not fully understood. This study investigates whether dietary fiber supplementation enhances endurance exercise performance, and whether SCFAs increase glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes by upregulating the endogenous antioxidant glutathione (GSH).

 Based on the participant’s fecal microbiota composition, a six-week intervention of 7.5 grams of a dietary fiber twice a day was prescribed and compared to placebo. In a randomized controlled trial in 34 healthy (BMI 18.5–25 kg∙m-2) young (18-40y) participants, endurance performance was determined by a time-to-exhaustion (TTE) cycling test at 80% VO2max before and after the intervention. In vitro, differentiated C2C12 cells were exposed to 1, 5, or 20 mM of single (acetate, propionate, or butyrate) or a mixture of SCFAs for 24h. Cytotoxicity (LDH), glucose uptake, and intracellular GSH levels were measured.

 Personalized fiber intake increased the TTE by 28% in the intervention group compared to 8% in the control group. SCFAs did not induce cytotoxicity. Exposure to a mixture of SCFAs increased glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes, while high exposure of propionate, butyrate, and mixture decreased glucose uptake. Exposure to individual SCFAs increased GSH levels in C2C12 myotubes, however, individual and mixtures of SCFAs did not prevent the menadione-induced decrease in glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes.

 To conclude, personalized dietary fiber intake enhances endurance performance in healthy individuals. In addition, the effect of SCFAs on modulating glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes is not associated with the effect on endogenous GSH levels. In the future, GLUT4 translocation and AMPK phosphorylation by SCFAs and their association with mitochondrial biogenesis, as well as the oxidative capacity will be investigated.

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