Regulation of COVID19 receptor protein by vitamin D and exercise

ABSTRACT

ConditionRegulation of COVID19 receptor protein by vitamin D and exercise
Not Applicable

InterventionThirty healthy young volunteers (15 males and 15 females) will be recruited to test the effects of Vit D3 dietary supplementation or placebo in oral mucosae and skeletal muscle ACE2 protein expression. Before administering supplements, a 10 mL resting blood sample will be obtained to determine their health status (general biochemistry and hemogram).

Two weeks later, the main experiments will start, comprising two supplementation trials (5 days) in a double-blind crossover design, including two conditions placebo or Vit D supplementation. On each trial, subjects will report to the laboratory at 700 a.m. and after the ingestion of the last dose of a placebo or Vit D3 (assigned randomly using an online tool). The corresponding supplement (placebo or Vit D3) will be administered in 3 doses of 25000 IU of Vit D3 on alternate days for 5 days (i.e., days 1, 3, and 5). On the 5th day in the morning, a 20 mL blood sample will be obtained from the femoral vein after ingesting the corresponding supplement. This will be followed by a collection of buccal mucosae cells with a cytobrush, and a muscle biopsy will be taken from the musculus vastus lateralis with the Bergstrom technique. The baseline sprint capacity (10 s all-out), VO2max, maximum fat oxidation capacity (indirect calorimetry) and muscle O2 extraction capacity (near-infrared spectroscopy, NIRS) will be assessed. Subjects will perform incremental exercise to exhaustion, followed by 20 seconds of ischaemia, a final 10 s all-out sprint, immediately followed by 1 minute of ischaemia applied in only one leg. At the end of the ischaemia, a bilateral muscle biopsy (occluded and non-occluded leg) will be obtained at the end of the exercise test performed with supplements, followed five min later by the collection of a 20 mL

Primary outcome:Skeletal muscle protein expression levels of ACE2 measured using western blotting at baseline and at the end of the exercise.

CriteriaInclusion criteria 1. Males and females between 18 and 40 years old
2. Physically active, but not submitted to periodized training.


Exclusion criteria 1. Medical contraindications for maximal exercise
2. Smoking
3. Taking drugs or medications
4. Taking supplements
5. Fainting when seeing blood
6. Not being able to pedal
7. Carrying orthopaedic prosthesis
8. Pregnancy
9. Basal 25 (OH) vitamin D concentration above 80 ng/mL