Multi-omic responses to acute exercise in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue of sedentary adults: findings from MoTrPAC

Exercise induces widespread health benefits across multiple tissues, yet the acute molecular responses in human adipose tissue remain poorly defined. The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) profiled temporal molecular changes in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT) following a single bout of exercise. Healthy sedentary adults were randomized to endurance (EE), resistance (RE), or control (CON) groups. ASAT biopsies were collected pre-exercise and at 45min, 4hr, and 24hr post-exercise, followed by transcriptomic, proteomic, phosphoproteomic, and metabolomic analyses. EE and RE elicited distinct, time-resolved molecular programs involving angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodeling, mitochondrial metabolism, substrate utilization, and circadian regulation. Phosphoproteomics revealed acute changes in cytoskeletal and branched-chain amino acid metabolism proteins associated with glycemic control. Temporal metabolomic shifts were cell-type-specific. Finally, we identified candidate adipose-derived exerkines with predicted endocrine actions. This multi-omic map of acute ASAT responses offers insight into adipose-specific mechanisms by which exercise promotes metabolic health.