Effects of intermittent hyperbaric exposure on endurance and interval exercise performance in well‐trained mice

New Findings What is the central question of this study? Intermittent hyperbaric exposure (1.3 atmospheres absolute with 20.9% O2) enhances endurance capacity by facilitating oxidative and glycolytic capacities in skeletal muscle. It remains unclear whether this strategy enhances endurance performance in well‐trained individuals. What is the main finding and its importance? Hyperbaric exposure with endurance training enhanced oxidative and glycolytic capacities and protein levels of mitochondrial transcription factor A, dynamin‐related protein‐1 and heat shock protein 70. Hyperbaric exposure with sprint interval training increased the proportion of type I muscle fibres and promoted capillary growth and muscle fibre hypertrophy. These results may lead to a new strategy for enhancing exercise capacity in well‐trained mice. The study was designed to clarify the mechanisms by which hyperbaric exposure (1.3 atmospheres absolute with 20.9% O2) improves endurance and interval exercise capacities in highly trained mice. Male mice in the training group were housed in a cage with a wheel activity device for 7 weeks from 5 weeks old. Voluntary running markedly increased maximal endurance capacity by 6.4‐fold. Trained mice were then subjected to either endurance treadmill training (20–32.5 m min−1) or sprint interval training (5 s run–10 s rest, 30–42.5 m min−1) with (HypET or HypSIT, respectively) and without (ET or SIT, respectively) 1 h hyperbaric exposure for 4 weeks. Maximal endurance capacity was significantly increased by HypET and HypSIT, and maximal interval capacity was significantly enhanced by HypSIT. Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma coactivator 1‐alpha expression levels were markedly increased after HypET and HypSIT. Activity levels of 3‐hydroxyacyl‐CoA‐dehydrogenase, citrate synthase and phosphofructokinase in the red gastrocnemius muscle were increased more by HypET than by ET. Protein levels of mitochondrial transcription factor A, dynamin‐related protein‐1 and heat shock protein 70 were increased more by HypET than by ET. The proportion of type I fibres in the soleus muscle was remarkably increased by HypSIT. Capillary‐to‐fibre ratio values in the white gastrocnemius were increased more by HypSIT than by SIT. These results suggest that hyperbaric exposure has beneficial effects for endurance and interval training to improve exercise capacity in highly trained mice.