Researchers have identified the role of the large Maf transcription factor family in regulating fast twitch muscle fibers. A mouse model lacking Maf expression in the skeletal muscles exhibited a ...

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the words twitch and muscle? Spasms, perhaps. You'd hardly be alone in thinking that. But when it comes to fitness, it's most commonly ...

Everyone is familiar, at least hand-wavingly, with the distinction between slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle-fiber types. The former are great for running marathons; the latter are ideal for ...

Type IIb fast-twitch myofibers, known for their rapid contraction speed, are plentiful in small mammals but have largely diminished in humans. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have discovered ...

Your DNA might be giving you an edge or could be holding you back. The ACTN3 gene encodes the protein alpha-actinin-3, which is found almost exclusively in fast-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers are ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Different types of exercise encourage the formation of different types of muscle fibers, or the cells that make up your muscles. Slow twitch muscle fibers support endurance activities ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Muscle fibers, which constitute skeletal muscle, are classified into two main types: slow-twitch (Type I, red muscle) and fast-twitch (Type II, white muscle). Slow-twitch fibers are ...