Muscle study reveals how physical training activates hundreds of genes.

Exercise has been shown to activate hundreds of genes, and differences in their activation may partly explain differences in athletic ability.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm have shown that regular cycle training affects about 500 genes in thigh muscles.

Their findings suggest that differences in training responses are due to differences in people's ability to activate genes more forcefully.

The study, which involved healthy young men in regular cycle training for six weeks, showed that participants who improved their performance most also had markedly greater activation of several genes in muscles.

Besides providing insight into athletic ability, the study provides targets for developing interventions that mimic the effects of exercise.

Exercise is known to improve health and quality of life. Determining the genetic factors involved in such benefits could lead to interventions that mimic exercise.

For example, Timmons, Sundberg and colleagues found in their study that many activated genes are likely linked to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In an interesting twist, the researchers also compared genes activated by regular exercise with genes activated in people with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, a muscle wasting disease.

They found similar genes that were activated. This could mean that muscles in people with muscular dystrophy strive to adapt in a similar way to those of people who are exercising.

Source: Diabetes In Control.com: The FASEB Journal. 2005;19:750-760.