biostudies-literatureUnknown15(1)Saenz CLow-carbohydrate, high-fat diets enhance lipid metabolism and decrease reliance on glucose oxidation in athletes, but the associated gene expression patterns remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether coordinated molecular pathways in skeletal muscle may be revealed by differential expression of genes driven by dietary profile, exercise, and/or their interaction. We investigated the skeletal muscle transcriptome in elite ultra-endurance athletes habitually (~ 20 months) consuming a high-carbohydrate, low-fat (HC, n = 10, 33 ± 6y, VO2max = 63.4 ± 6.2 mL O2•kg-1•min-1) or low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LC, n = 10, 34 ± 7y, VO2max = 64.7 ± 3.7 mL O2•kg-1•min-1) diet. Skeletal muscle gene expression was measured at baseline (BL), immediately-post (H0), and 2 h (H2) after 3Scientific reports8419https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11897176biostudies-literatureMuscle transcriptome profiles in elite male ultra-endurance athletes acclimated to a high-carbohydrate versus low-carbohydrate diet.PMC11897176Broderick TJBamman MMVolek JSMaresh CMLavin KMSaenz CKraemer WJLee ECfalseMuscle transcriptome profiles in elite male ultra-endurance athletes acclimated to a high-carbohydrate versus low-carbohydrate diet.Low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets enhance lipid metabolism and decrease reliance on glucose oxidation in athletes, but the associated gene expression patterns remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether coordinated molecular pathways in skeletal muscle may be revealed by differential expression of genes driven by dietary profile, exercise, and/or their interaction. We investigated the skeletal muscle transcriptome in elite ultra-endurance athletes habitually (~ 20 months) consuming a high-carbohydrate, low-fat (HC, n = 10, 33 ± 6y, VO2max = 63.4 ± 6.2 mL O2•kg-1•min-1) or low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LC, n = 10, 34 ± 7y, VO2max = 64.7 ± 3.7 mL O2•kg-1•min-1) diet. Skeletal muscle gene expression was measured at baseline (BL), immediately-post (H0), and 2 h (H2) after 32025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Mar2026-06-01T05:59:47.352Z2025-04-04T09:07:27.386ZS-EPMC118971764006923510.1038/s41598-025-88963-9