Metabolic crosstalk between muscle and endothelium

Increasing muscle vascularization is an adaptive event in response to exercise. A positive relations exist between muscle perfusion and performance parameters such as contraction strength and running speed. Indeed, an increase in muscle capillarity should improve blood-tissue exchange properties by increasing the surface area for oxygen diffusion or nutrient uptake. Whereas trained muscle indeed exhibits higher oxygen exchange capacity and improved glucose uptake, there is no experimental evidence showing that the increased capillarity in trained muscle is required to improve oxygen exchange and glucose uptake. On the other hand, the increase in muscle vascularization occurs before the switch in fiber types, raising the question as to whether blood vessels control (or are permissive for) muscular adaptations to exercise.

The laboratory of Exercise and Health aims to evaluate whether angiogenesis controls muscular adaptations to exercise. We also aim to understand how muscle and endothelium metabolically communicate to ensure optimal nutrient delivery and to orchestrate muscle adaptations to exercise.