Serum MOTS-c strongly correlated with VO2max and antioxidant markers in healthy young males
Background
Mitochondrial-derived peptides like MOTS-c are emerging as key regulators of metabolism and exercise performance. MOTS-c specifically targets the folate–methionine cycle, activating AMPK to enhance glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle. It also interacts with Nrf2 to activate antioxidant gene transcription, mediating mitochondrial–nuclear communication. While prior work showed exercise increases MOTS-c and exogenous administration improves running capacity in mice, its direct associations with human exercise capacity and antioxidant status remained unclear.
Study Design
This cross-sectional study examined serum MOTS-c levels in 30 healthy young males aged 18 to 25 years, stratified into three groups (elite track and field athletes, recreational athletes, and sedentary individuals). Researchers measured serum MOTS-c concentrations, assessed exercise capacity via VO2max and back muscle endurance, and evaluated antioxidant status by measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels both pre- and post-exercise. Statistical analyses included correlation coefficients and hierarchical regression to determine associations.
Results
Serum MOTS-c levels demonstrated strong positive correlations with several markers of exercise capacity and antioxidant status. Specifically, MOTS-c was strongly correlated with absolute VO2max (r = 0.892, p < 0.001), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (r = 0.847, p < 0.001), back muscle endurance (r = 0.725, p < 0.001), and post-fatigue back muscle force (r = 0.812, p < 0.001). Conversely, MOTS-c showed a strong inverse correlation with post-exercise malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (r = -0.910, p < 0.001), indicating reduced oxidative stress. In exploratory hierarchical regression analysis, post-exercise MDA remained a significant predictor, suggesting a robust link between MOTS-c and oxidative stress response. These findings highlight MOTS-c as a potential biomarker for physical fitness and antioxidant capacity.
Serum MOTS-c was strongly correlated with absolute VO2max (r = 0.892), SOD (r = 0.847), and inversely with post-exercise MDA (r = -0.910), all with p < 0.001.
Key Findings
- Serum MOTS-c strongly correlated with absolute VO2max (r = 0.892, p < 0.001).
- MOTS-c strongly correlated with superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (r = 0.847, p < 0.001).
- MOTS-c inversely correlated with post-exercise malondialdehyde (MDA) (r = -0.910, p < 0.001).
- MOTS-c correlated with back muscle endurance (r = 0.725, p < 0.001) and force (r = 0.812, p < 0.001).
Why It Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that MOTS-c is a significant biomarker for exercise capacity and antioxidant status in young males. For peptide users and biohackers, this suggests that interventions aimed at optimizing MOTS-c levels might enhance physical performance and resilience to oxidative stress. Understanding MOTS-c's role could lead to novel strategies for improving fitness and mitigating exercise-induced damage. While this is a cross-sectional study, the strong correlations warrant further investigation into MOTS-c as a potential therapeutic target or a diagnostic marker for fitness levels. Future research could explore whether exogenous MOTS-c administration or lifestyle interventions that boost endogenous MOTS-c can causally improve these outcomes, moving towards a usable protocol.
TitrateLab articles covering MOTS-c
Written by TitrateLab, separately from the study summarized above.
mots-c
exercise capacity
antioxidants
young males
cross-sectional
vo2max
