Jessen · Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) 2005 · narrative review · n=?

Contraction signaling to glucose transport in skeletal muscle.

Cited 309 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review of mechanistic and animal model literature without original human trial data.

PubMed 16036906 · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00175.2005 · record verified 2026-08-30

What was done

Narrative review evaluating the molecular pathways mediating contraction-induced, insulin-independent GLUT4 translocation and glucose transport in skeletal muscle, drawing on findings from transgenic and knockout animal models.

What was found

The abstract reports no numerical data. It summarizes that muscle contraction stimulates GLUT4 translocation via an insulin-independent mechanism. While AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays an important role, knockout and transgenic animal studies indicate it is not the sole mediator, suggesting redundant signaling pathways that may involve calcium, nitric oxide, bradykinin, and AS160.

Why it matters

Elucidating insulin-independent mechanisms of skeletal muscle glucose uptake may highlight novel drug targets to manage hyperglycemia in Type 2 diabetes.

Limits

The review reports no primary empirical data or quantitative effect sizes. Many referenced mechanistic findings derive from transgenic and knockout animal models, which may not fully reflect human physiology.

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