Mesquita · Frontiers in physiology 2021 · narrative review · n=?

Skeletal Muscle Ribosome and Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Response to Different Exercise Training Modalities.

Cited 62 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review evaluating physiological mechanisms and literature without systematic search or meta-analytic synthesis.

PubMed 34646153 · doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.725866 · record verified 2026-08-31

What was done

This narrative review examined the physiological and molecular literature regarding whether skeletal muscle exhibits a competition or trade-off between ribosome biogenesis (typically prioritized by resistance training) and mitochondrial biogenesis (typically prioritized by endurance training). The authors reviewed mechanistic hypotheses, including cross-talk between the AMPK and mTORC1 signaling pathways, intracellular energy constraints, and associations between ribosomal DNA and mitochondrial DNA copy numbers, alongside evidence indicating concurrent adaptations.

What was found

The abstract reports no quantitative data or effect sizes. It notes that while some studies suggest an interference effect and competition between mitochondrial and ribosomal biogenesis during concurrent training or specific modalities, other lines of evidence demonstrate that both biogenesis pathways can occur simultaneously, reflecting more complex regulation than a simple mutually exclusive AMPK-mTORC1 switch.

Why it matters

Understanding the cellular mechanisms governing concurrent training interference helps clarify how skeletal muscle balances energetic cost with structural adaptation, informing the optimization of combined strength and endurance protocols.

Limits

The review provides a narrative overview rather than a systematic synthesis, precluding formal risk-of-bias evaluation or quantitative meta-analysis. The abstract provides no specific study counts, participant sample characteristics, or empirical effect estimates.

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