Research

Hormonal

Acute intravenous administration of the non-specific beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol does not increase mitochondrial protein synthesis or markers of mitochondrial biogenesis in resting adult men.

Taking beta-agonists or experiencing acute stress does not directly build mitochondrial density in your muscles. While beta-blockers might blunt some training adaptations, simply stimulating the beta-receptors acutely is not a strategy to increase mitochondrial biogenesis in humans. Focus on established stimuli like endurance exercise for mitochondrial health.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
On the basis of this investigation, we conclude that acute intravenous β-AR stimulation does not increase mitochondrial protein synthesis or biogenesis signals in skeletal muscle.
Matthew M. Robinson et al. · American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology · 2009

Why this rating

Randomized, crossover design with direct measurement of mitochondrial protein synthesis via stable isotopes and RT-PCR for biogenesis markers in a controlled human setting.

Source

Acute β-adrenergic stimulation does not alter mitochondrial protein synthesis or markers of mitochondrial biogenesis in adult men

Matthew M. Robinson et al. · American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology · 2009

DOI 10.1152/ajpregu.00524.2009

crossover · n=11Cited 43×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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