Research

Mixed

Resistance exercise training shifts the acute protein synthesis response to be specific to myofibrillar proteins, whereas endurance exercise training shifts it to be specific to mitochondrial proteins, despite both stimulating mixed muscle protein synthesis acutely in the untrained state.

If your goal is to increase muscle size and strength, you must perform resistance training. This type of training specifically triggers the synthesis of myofibrillar proteins, which are responsible for muscle contraction and size. If you only do endurance exercise (like running or cycling), you will not stimulate myofibrillar protein synthesis, even if you are in a fed state. Conversely, if your goal is endurance performance, endurance training specifically targets mitochondrial proteins. Do not assume all exercise builds muscle equally; the type of exercise dictates the type of protein built.

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After training, only myofibrillar protein synthesis increased with RE (36%, P = 0.05). EE stimulated mitochondrial protein synthesis in both the untrained, 154%, and trained, 105% (both P < 0.05), but not myofibrillar protein synthesis.
Sarah B. Wilkinson et al. · The Journal of Physiology · 2008

Why this rating

Randomized controlled trial with within-subject controls, robust metabolic tracing, and clear statistical significance.

Source

Differential effects of resistance and endurance exercise in the fed state on signalling molecule phosphorylation and protein synthesis in human muscle

Sarah B. Wilkinson et al. · The Journal of Physiology · 2008

DOI 10.1113/jphysiol.2008.153916

crossover · n=10Cited 627×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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