Research

Energy balance

Exercise training reduces the exercise-induced activation of AMPK in skeletal muscle, primarily due to a significant decrease (10-60%) in AMPKgamma3 protein content and potentially elevated glycogen levels.

As you become fitter, your muscle's acute AMPK response to the same workout will decrease. This is not a failure; it indicates improved energy homeostasis and efficiency. This reduction is largely driven by a 10-60% drop in AMPKgamma3 protein content. Do not interpret this reduced molecular signaling as a lack of training effect.

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Several studies have shown that activation of skeletal muscle AMPK by acute exercise, performed at the same absolute and relative intensity, is reduced after a period of exercise training... Another factor could be the striking decrease in AMPKgamma3 protein content (10-60%) observed in skeletal muscle after exercise training... Because the AMPK alpha2beta2gamma3 complex is the major complex activated in skeletal muscle during exercise, it would indeed be expected that the exercise-induced activation of AMPK is affected by a reduction in AMPKgamma3 protein content after exercise training.
Rasmus Kjøbsted et al. · The FASEB Journal · 2017

Why this rating

The paper cites multiple studies (refs 69, 101, 110, 130, 131, 135) showing the reduction in gamma3 content and AMPK activation post-training.

Source

AMPK in skeletal muscle function and metabolism

Rasmus Kjøbsted et al. · The FASEB Journal · 2017

DOI 10.1096/fj.201700442r

narrative_reviewCited 475×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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