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Signalling and exercise

Mechanically sensitive MAPK signalling mediates resistance exercise-induced muscle growth

Understanding the molecular regulators of skeletal muscle mass is essential for the future development of therapies that promote muscle growth and/or inhibit muscle wasting. A new study shows that muscle-building resistance exercise in humans and mice activates a MAPK signalling pathway to increase protein synthesis and stimulate muscle hypertrophy.

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Fig. 1: Resistance exercise induces sustained activation of MKK3/4/6–p38–MK2/3/5 signalling to promote mTORC1 signalling, increased protein synthesis and muscle growth.

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Correspondence to Sue C. Bodine or Craig A. Goodman.

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Bodine, S.C., Goodman, C.A. Mechanically sensitive MAPK signalling mediates resistance exercise-induced muscle growth. Nat Metab 7, 1312–1314 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01303-z

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