Biology subjects

Hubal, M. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Hubal, M. J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Regulation of Small RNAs by Exercise and Their Role in Insulin Sensitivity

We investigated effects of three aerobic exercise interventions, varying in amount and intensity with durations of 8-9-months on small RNA (smRNA) expression and regulatory pathways in skeletal muscle and plasma from 120 participants. Using untargeted smRNA sequencing focused on miRNAs and piRNAs, adjusting for demographics and bodyweight, we identified 124 muscle smRNAs altered by exercise amount and 15 by intensity, and 47 plasma smRNAs altered by intensity and one by amount. These smRNAs were enriched in metabolic, transcriptional, translational, and cell cycle pathways. Exercise-induced changes in several smRNAs-six from muscle and five from plasma-and exercise-induced reduction in body weight, aligned with improvement in insulin sensitivity (p<0.05). These findings demonstrate tissue-specific regulation of smRNAs by exercise and identify potential candidates for exercise mimetics to modulate muscle insulin sensitivity.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Muscle Strength and Size Relationships with Unilateral Progressive Resistance Training

PurposeThis study defines correlative and causal relationships between muscle strength and size before and after unilateral resistance training (RT) in a large cohort of healthy adults, focusing on sex differences within these relationships. MethodsResults from 1233 participants (504 males and 729 females) in a retrospective analysis were included. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction strength (MVC), one-repetition maximum strength (1RM), biceps cross-sectional area (CSA) and elbow flexor volume (VOL) measures of the non-dominant and dominant arm were evaluated from baseline and after 12-wk RT twice per week. Correlations of MVC and VOL and 1RM and VOL were calculated in the whole cohort and within each sex independently. Causal analysis modeling was used to infer mechanistic relationships among variables. ResultsAbsolute muscle strength and size related to one another both at baseline and following training, however correlation strength in each sex were weak. After RT, MVC relative change and VOL relative change correlations were correlated for the whole cohort (r=0.16; p<0.001) and females (r=0.18; p<0.001), but not in males (r=0.11; p=0.07). No significant correlations for relative change in 1RM and VOL were observed for the whole cohort or within sex. Causal discovery determined that change in VOL caused significant change in 1RM (but not MVC) and age was identified as a potential cause. ConclusionsSex differences occur in muscle size and strength relationship adaptations following resistance training, most notably the absence of significant relationships between relative size and strength changes in men. Simpsons paradox bias, where assessing the combined data of males and females (also affecting overall sample size) affects identifies patterns differently than assessing relationships within each sex, may partially explain our findings.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Type 2 Diabetes Modifies Skeletal Muscle Gene Expression Response to Gastric Bypass Surgery

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) which can result in remission of clinical symptoms, yet mechanisms for improved skeletal muscle health are poorly understood. We sought to define the impact of existing T2DM on RYGB-induced muscle transcriptome changes. MethodsVastus lateralis biopsy transcriptomes were generated pre- and 1-yr post-RYGB in black adult females with (T2D; n = 5, age=51{+/-}6 yr, BMI=53.0{+/-}5.8 kg/m2) and without (CON; n = 7,43{+/-}6 yr,51.0{+/-}9.2 kg/m2) T2DM. Insulin, glucose, and HOMA-IR were measured in blood at the same time points. ANCOVA detected differentially expressed genes (p< 0.01, Fold change<|1.2|), which were used to identify enriched biological pathways. ResultsPre-RYGB, 95 probes were downregulated with T2D including subunits of mitochondrial complex I. Post-RYGB, the T2D group had normalized gene expression when compared to their non-diabetic counterparts with only 3 probes remaining significantly different. In the T2D, we identified 52 probes upregulated from pre- to post-RYGB, including NDFUB7 and NDFUA1. ConclusionBlack females with T2DM show extensive down regulation of genes across aerobic metabolism pathways prior to RYGB, which resolves 1 year post-RYGB and is related to improvements in clinical markers. These data support efficacy of RYGB for improving skeletal muscle health, especially in patients with T2DM.

molecular biology↗