Research

Mixed

Acute muscle protein synthesis (MPS) response to resistance exercise is not quantitatively correlated with long-term muscle hypertrophy in individuals, meaning acute MPS measurements cannot predict individual hypertrophic outcomes.

Do not use acute muscle protein synthesis tests to predict your muscle growth potential. While MPS is necessary for growth, its acute magnitude does not predict how much muscle you will gain from training. Focus on consistent training volume and nutrition rather than trying to maximize acute MPS spikes.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
In neither study was a linear correlation between MPS and hypertrophy observed... the acute MPS response is not correlated with muscle hypertrophy after RT in the same individuals
Cameron J. Mitchell et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2014

Why this rating

Based on a viewpoint paper citing multiple primary studies (Refs 14, 15) showing lack of correlation.

Source

What is the relationship between the acute muscle protein synthesis response and changes in muscle mass?

Cameron J. Mitchell et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2014

DOI 10.1152/japplphysiol.00609.2014

narrative_reviewCited 62×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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