Effect of six-week high intensity interval training under simulated microgravity on tissue level of degenerated myelin basic protein (dgen-MBP) in a rat model

Background: Astronauts and those in microgravity (MG) conditions are faced with neuromuscular challenges. On the other hand, high intensity interval training (HIIT) have been introduced as an effective factor in strengthening the nervous system. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of six weeks of high intensity interval training under simulated microgravity condition on brain degenerating myelin basic protein (dgen-MBP) level in healthy male rats.

Metohds: This experimental study was conducted on 30 male rats with an average weight of 189.2 ± 5.7 grams. They were randomly divided into 5 groups: Base line (n=6), MG control (n=6), HIIT control (n=6), HIIT (n=6) and MG & HIIT (n=6). The training groups performed the HIIT on a treadmill, with 30 seconds running time of 29 m/min and a 1 minute rest time of 13 m/s to until the fatigue. Rats were killed 48 hours after the last training session and an ELISA kit was used to evaluate the data related to dgen-MBP.

Results: The results of one-way ANOVA showed a significant difference between the groups in the functional test variables and dgen-MBP (P≤0.05). In the meantime, the MG & HIIT group showed the highest amount of dgen-MBP compared to the control group.

Conclusion: It seems that people who are in a microgravity situation, by applying HIIT training for at least 6 weeks, can increase their dgen-MBP levels, improve their health and nerves, and increase the time to fatigue.