Omic analysis of muscle adaptation
Muscle can adapt to changes in its activity. It can grow when challenged by weight training and wastes away when it is not used. It acts not only to move us around, but also as a buffer for the sugar that enters our bloodstream when food is digested and absorbed. Exercise is an effective way to manage our blood sugar levels.
We investigate the ways that muscle cells recognise and respond to changes in their use. We have experimental programmes that test how the frequency of exercise sessions affect the rate and extent of muscle adaptation.
The new ‘omics techniques allow us to follow in great detail the timecourse related to training. We measure how the immediate response to an exercise session produces gradual lasting change in the muscle. The cellular responses take only minutes to appear, but the resulting muscle growth or change in proteome takes days or weeks.
Our research can inform recommendations for exercise prescription, that is how to choose the best activity pattern for a desired outcome.
- A young person who wants to get stronger
- An elderly person who wants to maintain the strength necessary to remain independent
- A person in intensive care whose doctors are concerned not to lose muscle strength in the limb and breathing muscles that is needed for return to normal living
- An astronaut experiencing weightlessness for many weeks
These are complex decisions.
- How many times per day, or times per week should I exercise?
- How much load should I use to work against?
- Can I damage my muscles if I do too much?
- Would it help to use electrical stimulation to activate my muscles some of the time?
- Can I take drugs or supplements or a special diet to help? How should I exercise when my muscles are damaged?