Quantitative biology of exercise-induced signal transduction pathways

Exercise is essential in regulating energy metabolism. Exercise activates cellular, molecular, and biochemical pathways with regulatory roles in training response adaptation. Among them, endurance/strength training of an individual has been shown to activate its respective signal transduction pathways in skeletal muscle. This was further studied from the viewpoint of quantitative difference (QD). For the mean values, x and ȳ, of two sets of data, their QD is defined as (formula presented). The function-specific homeostasis (FSH) of a function of a biosystem is a negative-feedback response of the biosystem to maintain the function-specific conditions inside the biosystem so that the function is perfectly performed. A function in/far from its FSH is called a normal/dysfunctional function. A cellular normal function can resist the activation of other signal transduction pathways so that there are normal function-specific signal transduction pathways which full activation maintains the normal function. Results: An acute endurance/ strength training may be dysfunctional, but its regular training may be normal. The normal endurance/strength training of an individual may resist the activation of other signal transduction pathways in skeletal muscle so that there may be normal endurance/strength training-specific signal transduction pathways (NEPs/NSPs) in skeletal muscle. The endurance/strength training may activate NSPs/NEPs, but the QD from the control is smaller than 0.80. The simultaneous activation of both NSPs and NEPs may enhance their respective activation, and the QD from the control is larger than 0.80. The low level laser irradiation pretreatment of rats may promote the activation of NSPs in endurance training skeletal muscle. Conclusion: There may be NEPs/NSPs in skeletal muscle trained by normal endurance/strength training.