ABSTRACT
Skeletal muscle is one of the most malleable tissues in mammals, capable of extensive reorganization and remodeling when stressed. This phenotypic plasticity has been demonstrated using a variety of models such as alterations in hormonal milieu, gravitational force, and contractile activity (1). Chronic low intensity activity, for example, can induce a fundamental change in both the type and extent of a variety of cellular proteins (2). In general, these adaptations appear directed at insuring the functional integrity of the excitation and contraction processes in the cell and providing for the continuous supply of energy derived from the aerobic metabolism during sustained activity (2).
