Hormonal
High-intensity aerobic exercise (60% Wmax) sustains myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) into late recovery (24-28h), whereas low-intensity exercise (30% Wmax) does not, despite both stimulating early recovery MyoPS.
If your goal is to maximize muscle protein synthesis from aerobic exercise, intensity matters more than duration. A 30-minute high-intensity session (60% of your max power) sustains muscle-building signals for up to 28 hours, whereas a 60-minute low-intensity session (30% max power) does not. To get the most out of your cardio for muscle health, prioritize higher intensities, even if the workout is shorter.
In late recovery (24–28 h), myofibrillar FSR returned to rest in the LOW trial, but remained elevated with HIGH exercise (P < 0.05).
Why this rating
Randomized crossover design with precise tracer measurements, though limited by small sample size (n=8) and short duration (acute bout).
Source
Influence of aerobic exercise intensity on myofibrillar and mitochondrial protein synthesis in young men during early and late postexercise recovery
Danielle M. Di Donato et al. · American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2014
DOI 10.1152/ajpendo.00487.2013
More from this paper
- High-intensity aerobic exercise stimulates mTOR phosphorylation (Ser2448) early in recovery (0.5h), which correlates with sustained myofibrillar protein synthesis, whereas low-intensity exercise does not.Good
- High-intensity aerobic exercise stimulates mitochondrial protein synthesis (MitoPS) in late recovery (24-28h), whereas low-intensity exercise does not, although neither intensity stimulated MitoPS in early recovery (0.5-4.5h) in the fasted state.Good
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