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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

Human Skeletal Muscle Biopsy Procedures Using the Modified Bergström Technique

Human Skeletal Muscle Biopsy Procedures Using the Modified Bergström Technique

Published on: September 10, 2014

Dynamic epigenetic responses to muscle contraction.

Morten Rasmussen¹, Juleen R Zierath², Romain Barrès¹

¹The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Drug Discovery Today

|March 18, 2014

Summary

Exercise triggers gene expression in skeletal muscle for adaptation. Epigenetic changes like histone deacetylation and DNA methylation dynamically control these exercise-induced genomic responses.

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Area of Science:

Exercise physiology
Molecular biology
Epigenetics

Background:

Skeletal muscle adapts to exercise through gene expression.
Epigenetic mechanisms are known to regulate gene expression.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in exercise-induced gene expression in skeletal muscle.
To understand the dynamic nature of epigenetic modifications in response to exercise.

Main Methods:

Analysis of gene expression following acute exercise.
Assessment of epigenetic modifications, including histone H4 deacetylation and promoter methylation.

Main Results:

Acute exercise induces gene expression related to muscle adaptation.
Specific epigenetic changes, histone H4 deacetylation and loss of promoter methylation, are observed.
These epigenetic modifications are transient, indicating dynamic regulation.

Conclusions:

Epigenetic mechanisms play a dynamic role in controlling skeletal muscle's response to exercise.
These findings highlight that epigenetic regulation is not limited to development but is crucial for adult genomic plasticity.
Exercise-induced epigenetic changes are key to skeletal muscle adaptation and function.