Muscle

Research has uncovered associations between muscle strength training and a lower risk of death, and a new study has drilled into this phenomenon to find as little as half an hour per week can have significant benefits.

Finding time to go the gym or even complete workouts at home can be a tricky task for busy folk, but a new study suggests even lifting a dumbbell once or twice a day can be worth your while, leading to significant improvements in strength.

Researchers have developed a new type of artificial muscle that’s entirely made out of natural proteins. Responding to changes in its environment allows the muscle to flex on demand, which could make it useful for implants, prosthetics or robots.

A study has quantified the role genes play in how our bodies respond to different kinds of exercise. The findings show genes influence outcomes prominently in muscle training and propose exercise programs could be personalized for genetic profiles.

A small but robust study from researchers at Australia’s Edith Cowan University has discovered one way exercise can suppress cancer growth. The study found exercise induces muscles to release a type of protein that can slow the growth of tumor cells.

"Muscle shirt" may soon take on a whole new meaning. A team has found a way to use bacteria to produce synthetic muscle proteins, which can then be spun into fibers to make clothing, protective gear and biomedical implants and prosthetics.

Currently, most powered prosthetic limbs are controlled by electrodes in the user's residual stump. An experimental new MIT system, however, is claimed to work better by replacing those electrodes with implanted magnetic beads.

A new study has dug into the molecular underpinnings of the relationship between weight training and weight loss, and identified a new mechanism through which muscle cells deliver instructions that send fat cells into fat-burning mode.

A fascinating new study from researchers in Japan indicates our metabolism of dietary proteins is influenced by when we consume meals. The study found protein consumed early in the day promotes better skeletal muscle health and growth.

A trial led by researchers from the University of Bath questions the value of popular fasting diets, finding a simple calorie-controlled diet is more effective at reducing weight. The trial also found fasting can lead to greater losses of muscle mass.

Researchers at Salk Institute have uncovered a mechanism by which stem cells can help regenerate muscles. The discovery could provide a new drug target for repairing muscles after injury or rebuilding muscle mass lost during the normal aging process.

Tiny robots could serve useful functions, but shrinking actuators has proven challenging. Now researchers at the University of Wollongong have made artificial muscles that surpass your puny natural ones, inspired by the “supercoiling” of DNA strands.