Exercise training improves exercise capacity independent of AMPKα2 T172-mediated adaptations in skeletal muscle

Regular exercise induces adaptations in skeletal muscle and other organ systems to improve physical performance and overall health. Exercise results in phosphorylation of 5’ AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) at threonine 172 (T172) of the α2 subunit; however, the role of this activation in cellular and functional adaptations has not been elucidated. To this end, we subjected non-activatable Ampkα2 ( T172A ) knock-in (KI) adult mice and wild-type (WT) littermates to 4 weeks of voluntary wheel running (VWR). Exercise training led to significant improvements in endurance capacity, maximal oxygen consumption ( O 2 max), and glucose tolerance, as well as skeletal muscle IIb-to-IIa fiber type shift in both WT and KI mice. Contrastingly, VWR resulted in increased mitochondrial OxPhos protein expression, mitochondrial volume density, and capillary density in skeletal muscle of WT but not KI mice. Exercise-induced improvements of mitochondrial respiration and conductance revealed by high-resolution respirometry of isolated mitochondria were blunted in KI mice. Therefore, for the first time, we reveal that AMPKα2 T172 activation is required for exercise training-induced mitochondrial biogenesis, improvement of mitochondrial respiratory function, and angiogenesis in skeletal muscle, but that these adaptations are not solely responsible for improved O 2 max and exercise endurance capacity. Significance Statement Exercise is the most effective lifestyle intervention for promoting health and preventing chronic diseases through adaptive changes in skeletal muscle and many other tissues/organs. AMPK is an energy sensor and signaling regulator for exercise-induced skeletal muscle adaptation, yet its functional role and the impact on exercise capacity have been studied in mouse genetic models wherein protein stoichiometry is disrupted. Using non-activatable Ampkα2(T172A) knock-in mice, we ascertained that AMPKα2 activation via T172 phosphorylation is required for endurance training-induced mitochondrial and angiogenic adaptations in skeletal muscle. Importantly, these adaptations are not required for improved exercise capacity, challenging the prevailing concept that increased mitochondrial content and function and microvasculature are the sole driving factors for the performance gains with endurance training.