Multi-level studies have shown that Rhodiola rosea (RHO) and Caffeine (CAF) have the potential to be nutritional supplements to enhance physical performance in resistance exercise-untrained and -trained subjects. This study examined the synergistic effects of RHO (262.7 mg/kg for rats and 2.4 g for volunteers) and CAF (19.7 mg/kg for rats and 3 mg/kg for volunteers) supplementation on improving physical performance in rats, resistance exercise-untrained volunteers and resistance exercise-trained volunteers. Rats and volunteers were randomly grouped into placebo, CAF, RHO and CAF+RHO and administered accordingly with the nutrients during the training procedure, and pre- and post-measures were collected. We found that RHO+CAF was effective in improving forelimb grip strength (13.75%), erythropoietin (23.85%), dopamine (12.65%) and oxygen consumption rate (9.29%) in the rat model. Furthermore, the current results also indicated that the combination of RHO+CAF significantly increased the bench press one-repetition maximum (1RM) (16.59%), deep squat 1RM (15.75%), maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) (14.72%) and maximum repetitions of 60% 1RM bench press (22.15%) in resistance exercise-untrained volunteers. Additionally, despite the excellent base level of the resistance exercise-trained volunteers, their deep squat 1RM and MVIC increased substantially through the synergistic effect of RHO and CAF. In conclusion, combined supplementation of RHO+CAF is more beneficial in improving the resistance exercise performance for both resistance exercise-untrained and -trained volunteers. The present results provide practical evidence that the synergies of RHO and CAF could serve as potential supplementary for individuals, especially resistance exercise-trained subjects, to ameliorate their physical performances effectively and safely.

The Kiss1/GPR54 system is a multifunctional genetic system with an essential role in regulating energy balance and metabolic homeostasis. In the mammalian hypothalamus, two major populations of neurons, the rostral periventricular region of the third ventricle (RP3V) and the arcuate nucleus (ARC), produced kisspeptin. Kiss1^ARC neurons input kisspeptin and glutamate to feeding-associated neurons to regulate energy intake and expenditure balance. Kisspeptin in the peripheral circulation is involved in lipid accumulation in adipose tissue. In the hepatic and pancreatic circuits, kisspeptin signaling affects insulin secretion, suggesting the critical role of the Kiss1/GPR54 system in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. In addition, this review also predicts the role of the Kiss1/GPRS4 system in skeletal muscle in association with exercise performance. Recent studies have focused on the link between kisspeptin signaling and energy homeostasis, further investigation of potential function is warranted. Therefore, this review summarizes the role of the Kiss1/GPRS4 system in the major metabolic organs in relation to energy metabolism homeostasis, aiming to endow the reader with a critical and updated view of the Kiss1/GPR54 system in energy metabolism.

Overweight patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) tend to survive longer than normal-weight patients, a phenomenon known as the “obesity paradox”. The phenotypic characteristics of adipose distribution in these patients (who survive longer) often reveal a larger proportion of subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT), suggesting that the presence of scWAT is negatively associated with all-cause mortality and that scWAT appears to provide protective benefits in patients facing unhealthy states. Exercise-mediated browning is a crucial aspect of the benign remodeling process of adipose tissue (AT). Reduced accumulation, reduced inflammation, and associated adipokine secretion are directly related to the reduction in CVD mortality. This paper summarized the pathogenetic factors associated with AT accumulation in patients with CVD and analyzed the possible role and pathway of exercise-mediated adipose browning in reducing the risk of CVD and CVD-related mortality. It is suggested that exercise-mediated browning may provide a new perspective on the “obesity paradox”; that is, overweight CVD patients who have more scWAT may gain greater cardiovascular health benefits through exercise.

Resistance training (RT) and protein supplementation have beneficial effects on the human body. However, it is unknown if RT's health-promoting benefits are enhanced by food-borne protein, such as cheese supplements. This study investigated at how the body composition, lipid profile, muscle strength and intestinal microbiota changed following four weeks of RT combined with cheese supplementation. Thirty-five male and untrained adults were divided into 4 groups [control group (CON), low-dose group (LG), medium-dose group (MG), and high-dose group (HG)] and underwent a 4-week RT (3 times/week) in combination with cheese supplementation. Participants received 108 g (LG), 216 g (MG), or 324 g (HG) of cheese on the day of RT, and each serving (108 g) of cheese contained 6.7 g of food-borne protein. The RT program was a whole-body program with movements such as chest presses, leg presses, seated rowing, knee extensions and triceps pushdown. The exercise consisted of 3 sets of 8–12 repetitions at 70%RM, with a 120-s break in between. Body parameters (body composition, lipid profile and muscle strength) were assessed at baseline and after the 4 weeks of the intervention. The feces sample was taken every weekend. A two-way (group × time) mixed-design ANOVA was used to examine the body parameters. Independent one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the differences between groups in baseline characteristics and different values of each parameter. HDL-C level was higher in MG than in LG. In comparison to LG, MG had lower levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body weight, body mass index, body fat mass and body fat percentage. However, there was no difference in muscle strength between in the four groups. The abundance of Actinobacteria was higher in LG and Erysipelotrichaceae was lower in MG and HG. The findings suggest that cheese could be a readily available food-borne protein supplement to enhance the beneficial effects of RT on health. It may improve body composition and lipid profile by altering the proportion of intestinal microbiota. During the 4-week RT intervention, 13.4 g of foodborne protein in the form of cheese 3 times per week was the ideal dosage.