Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Study on the mechanism of adaptation to exercise in skeletal muscle has great significance for the improvement of sports performance, the prevention and treatment of some metabolic disorders.
OBJECTIVE: To discuss the mechanism of adaptation to exercise in skeletal muscle.
METHODS: An online search of PubMed database and CNKI was performed for relevant articles published before March 2011, using key words of “skeletal muscle, exercise, adaptation, cytoskeleton, dystrophin” in English and Chinese, respectively. A total of 56 articles were collected. Articles on the mechanism of adaptation to exercise in skeletal muscle were included. A number of 31 articles were retained after excluding the repetitive ones.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Intense exercise can cause stress reaction in muscle structure and cell metabolism, such as muscle damage and oxidative stress. High-strength eccentric activities may lead to the damage of muscle ultrastructure, but the muscle shows a remodeling response after exercise-induced damage. Exercise training can promote various adaptations of healthy individuals to nitric oxide system. These adaptations can somehow enhance the biological availability of skeletal muscle, consequently increase the exercise capacity and provide protection to the cardiovascular system. At present, the mechanism of adaptation to exercise in human skeletal muscle is still unclear.