Dietary BCAA supplementation counteracts the beneficial effects of long‐term aerobic exercise against obesity and associated metabolic disorders by suppressing FGF21 expression

AIMS: The elevated branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have been strongly associated with the development of metabolic diseases in recent years. It remains unclear whether the altered BCAA metabolism plays a functional role in mediating the beneficial effects of exercise against metabolic dysfunctions. METHODS: Diet-induced obese (DIO) mice underwent an aerobic exercise regimen with or without BCAA supplementation. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) was either knocked down or overexpressed specifically in the liver using an adeno-associated virus. Various metabolic phenotypes were assessed. HepG2 cells were cultured and treated with varying concentrations of BCAAs. RESULTS: Aerobic exercise significantly reduced circulating BCAA levels in obese mice (leucine: -15.21%; isoleucine: -18.13%; valine: -20.83%), concomitant with decreased body weight (-8.89%), better glycaemic control and improved hepatic steatosis. Notably, BCAA supplementation restored plasma BCAA levels and counteracted the metabolic benefits of aerobic exercise. Exercise upregulated hepatic FGF21 expression (+66.67%), which was abolished by BCAA supplementation (-63.67%). Deletion of hepatic FGF21 eliminated the metabolic benefits of exercise, while over-expression of hepatic FGF21 mitigated the metabolic dysfunctions induced by BCAA supplementation in exercised mice. BCAAs suppressed hepatic FGF21 expression likely through the general control nonderepressible (GCN2)-activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term aerobic exercise mitigates obesity and associated metabolic disorders by reducing BCAA abundances and subsequently FGF21 induction. The causal relationship between dietary BCAA intake and the anti-obesity effects of exercise provides novel insight into the metabolic interplay between exercise and BCAAs, underscoring the potential of integrating exercise with precise nutrient modulation as an effective strategy to improve metabolic health.