Michael D Roberts

Auburn University | AU · Department of Kinesiology

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the chronic effects of different whey protein forms on body composition and performance when supplemented with resistance training. Methods: Resistance-trained men (N = 56, 21.4 ± 0.4 years, 79.5 ± 1.0 kg) participated in an 8-week resistance training regimen (2 upper-body sessions and 2 lowe...

We sought to determine the effects of L-leucine (LEU) or different protein supplements standardized to LEU (~3.0 g/serving) on changes in body composition, strength, and histological attributes in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Seventy-five untrained, college-aged males (mean ± standard error of the mean (SE); age = 21 ± 1 years, body mass = 7...

Introduction We aimed to determine if candidate genetic polymorphisms were associated with resistance training‐induced changes in skeletal muscle hypertrophy variables. Methods Two cohorts of predominantly Caucasian college‐aged male participants (N=109; n=66: Auburn, AL, USA; n=43: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) performed 12 weeks of progressive full...

We examined if resistance training affected muscle NAD+ and NADH concentrations as well as nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) protein levels and sirtuin (SIRT) activity markers in middle-aged, untrained (MA) individuals. MA participants (59±4 years old; n=16) completed 10 weeks of full-body resistance training (2 d/wk). Body composition...

An increase in mechanical loading, such as that which occurs during resistance exercise, induces radial growth of muscle fibers (i.e., an increase in cross-sectional area). Muscle fibers are largely composed of myofibrils, but whether radial growth is mediated by an increase in the size of the myofibrils (i.e., myofibril hypertrophy) and/or the num...

We examined how set-volume equated resistance training using either the back squat (SQ) or hip thrust (HT) affected hypertrophy and various strength outcomes. Untrained college-aged participants were randomized into HT (n = 18) or SQ (n = 16) groups. Surface electromyograms (sEMG) from the right gluteus maximus and medius muscles were obtained duri...

Position Statement: The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) presents this position based on a critical examination of literature surrounding the effects of essential amino acid (EAA) supplementation on skeletal muscle maintenance and performance. This position stand is intended to provide a scientific foundation to athletes, dietitians...

Denervated myofibers and senescent cells are hallmarks of skeletal muscle aging. However, sparse research has examined how resistance training affects these outcomes. We investigated the effects of unilateral leg extensor resistance training on denervated myofibers, senescent cells, and associated protein markers in middle-aged participants (MA, 55...

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) binding to endothelial TNF receptor-I (TNFR-I) facilitates monocyte recruitment and chronic inflammation, leading to the development of atherosclerosis. In vitro data show a heightened inflammatory response and atherogenic potential in endothelial cells (ECs) from African American (AA) donors. High laminar shear stress (...

Although several reports have hypothesized that exercise may increase skeletal muscle protein lactylation, empirical evidence in humans is lacking. Thus, we adopted a multi-faceted approach to examine if acute and subchronic resistance training (RT) altered skeletal muscle protein lactylation levels. In mice, we also sought to examine if surgical a...

An increase in mechanical loading, such as that which occurs during resistance exercise, induces radial growth of muscle fibers (i.e., an increase in cross-sectional area). Muscle fibers are largely composed of myofibrils, but whether radial growth is mediated by an increase in the size of the myofibrils (i.e., myofibril hypertrophy) and/or the num...

Purpose of review: The purpose of this opinion paper is to provide current-day and evidence-based information regarding dietary supplements that support resistance training adaptations or acutely enhance strength-power or endurance performance. Recent findings: Several independent lines of evidence support that higher protein diets, which can be...

We recently reported that vastus lateralis (VL) cross‐sectional area (CSA) increases after 7 weeks of resistance training (RT, 2 days/week), with declines occurring following 7 weeks of subsequent treadmill high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) (3 days/week). Herein, we examined the effects of this training paradigm on skeletal muscle proteolytic...

Measures of neuromuscular function are commonly obtained in the research disciplines of aging, disease physiology, and exercise science. The methods used to assess neuromuscular function range in sophistication. Here, we provide comprehensive overviews of strength testing, dynamometer assessments, the use of force plates, and evoked potentials. Our...

Godwin, JS, Telles, GD, Vechin, FC, Conceição, MS, Ugrinowitsch, C, Roberts, MD, and Libardi, CA. Time course of proteolysis biomarker responses to resistance, high-intensity interval, and concurrent exercise bouts. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2023-Concurrent exercise (CE) combines resistance exercise (RE) and high-intensity interval exerci...

We investigated the effects of performing a period of resistance training (RT) on the performance and molecular adaptations to a subsequent period of endurance training (ET). Twenty‐five young adults were divided into an RT+ET group ( n = 13), which underwent 7 weeks of RT followed by 7 weeks of ET, and an ET‐only group ( n = 12), which performed 7...

Trained individuals may require variations in training stimuli and advanced resistance training paradigms (ADV) to increase skeletal muscle hypertrophy. However, no meta-analysis has examined how ADV versus traditional (TRAD) approaches may diferentially afect hypertrophic outcomes in trained populations. Te aim of this review was to determine whet...

Mechanisms underlying mechanical overload-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy have been extensively researched since the landmark report by Morpurgo (1897) of "work-induced hypertrophy" in dogs that were treadmill-trained. Much of the pre-clinical rodent and human resistance training research to date supports that involved mechanisms include enhanc...

Purpose: We examined how set-volume equated resistance training using either the back squat (SQ) or hip thrust (HT) affected hypertrophy and various strength outcomes. Methods: Untrained college-aged participants were randomized into HT (n=18) or SQ (n=16) groups. Surface electromyograms (sEMG) from the right gluteus maximus and medius muscles were...

We examined the myofibrillar (MyoF) and non-myofibrillar (non-MyoF) proteomic profiles of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle of younger (Y, 22+/-2 years old; n=5) and middle-aged participants (MA, 56+/-8 years old; n=6), and MA following eight weeks of knee extensor resistance training (RT, 2d/week). Shotgun/bottom-up proteomics in skeletal muscle ty...

Objectives: To investigate the gut-brain axis, we explored the relationships among mood disturbance (MD), diet quality (DQ), and fecal microbiota in free-living adults. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with data from 75 healthy adults enrolled in two studies. Anthropometrics, 16s rRNA gene sequencing of fecal microbes, DQ as ass...

Abstract Limited research exists examining how resistance training to failure affects applied outcomes and single motor unit characteristics in previously trained individuals. Herein, resistance‐trained adults (24 ± 3 years old, self‐reported resistance training experience was 6 ± 4 years, 11 men and 8 women) were randomly assigned to either a low‐...

Although several resistance exercise studies have used bioinformatics platforms to identify the biological relevance of gene expression changes, these platforms seldom provide in-depth information on genes that have been mechanistically linked to skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Thus, we sought to perform a secondary analysis on a muscle transcriptomic...

Herein, we determined if a multi-ingredient supplement (NAD3; 312 mg of combined Wasabia japonica extract, theacrine, and copper (I)niacin chelate) versus a placebo (CTL) affected peripheral blood mononuclear (PMBC) transcriptomic, DNA methylation, and sirtuin activity profiles in middle-aged adults after 12 weeks of supplementation. Several mRNAs...

The effects of low load resistance training with blood flow restriction (BFR) on hypertrophy of type I/II myofibers remains unclear, especially in females. The purpose of the present study is to examine changes in type I/II myofiber cross-sectional area (fCSA) and muscle CSA (mCSA) of the vastus lateralis (VL) pre- to post-6 weeks of high load resi...

We investigated the effects of performing a period of resistance training (RT) on the performance and molecular adaptations to a subsequent period of endurance training (ET). Twenty-five young adults were divided into RT+ET (n=13), which underwent seven weeks of RT followed by seven weeks of ET, and ET-only (n=12), which performed seven weeks of ET...

Although transcriptome profiling has been used in several resistance training studies, the associated analytical approaches seldom provide in-depth information on individual genes linked to skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Therefore, a secondary analysis was performed herein on a muscle transcriptomic dataset we previously published involving trained c...

We determined if skeletal muscle extracellular matrix (ECM) content and remodeling markers adapted with resistance training or were associated with hypertrophic outcomes. Thirty-eight untrained males (21±3 yrs.) participated in whole-body resistance training (10 weeks, 2x weekly). Participants completed testing (ultrasound, peripheral quantitative...

We sought to determine if the myofibrillar protein synthetic (MyoPS) response to a naïve resistance exercise (RE) bout, or chronic changes in satellite cell number and muscle ribosome content, were associated with hypertrophic outcomes in females or differed in those who classified as higher (HR) or lower (LR) responders to resistance training (RT)...

We sought to determine the skeletal muscle genome-wide DNA methylation and mRNA responses to one bout of lower load (LL) versus higher load (HL) resistance exercise. Trained college-aged males (n = 11, 23 ± 4 years old, 4 ± 3 years self-reported training) performed LL or HL bouts to failure separated by one week. The HL bout (i.e., 80 Fail) consist...

We investigated the effects of aging and long‐term physical activity on markers of mitochondrial function and dynamics in the cortex and cerebellum of female rats. Additionally, we interrogated markers of oxidative damage and antioxidants. Thirty‐four female Lewis rats were separated into three groups. A young group (YNG, n = 10) was euthanized at...

Objective Long INterspersed Element-1 (L1) is an autonomous transposable element in the genome. L1 transcripts that are not reverse transcribed back into the genome can accumulate in the cytoplasm and activate an inflammatory response via the cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAS)-STING pathway. We examined skeletal muscle L1 markers as well as STING protein levels...

Background: The gut microbiome contributes to numerous physiological processes in humans, and diet and exercise are known to alter both microbial composition and mood. We sought to explore the effect of a 10-week resistance training (RT) regimen with or without peanut protein supplementation (PPS) in untrained young adults on fecal microbiota and...

We sought to determine the skeletal muscle genome-wide DNA methylation and mRNA responses to one bout of lower-load (LL) versus higher-load (HL) resistance exercise. Trained college-aged males (n=11, 23+/-4 years old, 4+/-3 years self-reported training) performed LL or HL bouts to failure separated by one week. The HL bout (i.e., 80 Fail) consisted...

New findings: In pennate muscle, changes in myofiber cross-sectional area (fCSA), fascicle length (Lf ), and pennation angle (PA) with exercise training likely interact to alter whole-muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA). Herein, we are the first to use multiple regression to show that changes in vastus lateralis (VL) mean fCSA, Lf and PA following...

We sought to determine the effects of long-term voluntary wheel running on markers of Long Interspersed Nuclear Element-1 (L1) in skeletal muscle, liver, and the hippocampus of female rats. Additionally, markers of the cGAS-STING DNA sensing pathway that results in inflammation were interrogated. Female Lewis rats (n=34) were separated into one of...

This study had two aims. AIM1 was to determine the agreement between mid-thigh vastus lateralis (VL) cross-sectional area measured by ultrasound (mCSA US ) versus magnetic resonance imaging (mCSA MRI ) at a single time point, and the ability of each to detect hypertrophic changes. AIM2 was to assess the relationships between pre-to-post training ch...

Retrotransposons are gene segments that proliferate in the genome, and the Long INterspersed Element 1 (LINE-1, or L1) retrotransposon is active in humans. Although older mammals show enhanced skeletal muscle L1 expression, exercise generally reverses this trend. We hypothesize skeletal muscle L1 expression affects muscle physiology, and additional...

Naked mole-rats (NMR) and Damaraland mole-rats (DMR) exhibit extraordinary longevity for their body size, high tolerance to hypoxia and oxidative stress and high reproductive output; these collectively defy the concept that life-history traits should be negatively correlated. However, when life-history traits share similar underlying physiological...

Background: In the endothelium, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) binding to TNF receptor-I (TNFR-I) facilitates monocyte recruitment and consequently the development of atherosclerosis. The prevalence of inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and subclinical atherosclerosis is higher in the African American (AA) population. This is supported by in vitro...

Hypothesis: We hypothesize that MRI-determined vastus lateralis (VL) cross-sectional area (CSA) will increase following resistance training and that changes in VL size determined by ultrasonography and histology methods will agree with and/or be related to MRI-determined changes in VL size. Methods: Twelve healthy, untrained, college-aged males...

Objective: We sought to determine how one bout of resistance training to failure with either higher repetitions (30FAIL) or lower repetitions (80FAIL) affected the promoter methylation statuses of genes that drive skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Hypotheses: We hypothesized that a bout of 80FAIL training would lead to a more robust hypomethylation o...

Objective: We sought to determine the effects of chronic, voluntary wheel running on Long Interspersed Nuclear Element-1 (LINE-1) mRNA expression and promoter methylation, as well as markers of the cGAS-STING inflammatory pathway, in skeletal muscle. Hypotheses: LINE-1 mRNA expression will increase with age, and exercise will mitigate this incre...

Objective: Our objective was to determine how global DNA methylation status of skeletal muscle differs with resistance training (RT) to failure in trained participants using either 80% of their estimated one-repetition maximum (Est. 1-RM) (80FAIL) or 30% of their Est. 1-RM (30FAIL). Hypotheses: We hypothesize there will be a significant decrease...

Objective: To determine if markers of skeletal muscle extracellular matrix (ECM) content and ECM remodeling are indicators of hypertrophy in previously untrained collage aged males. Hypotheses: Higher-responders (HR) to resistance training would demonstrate more malleable changes in assayed ECM markers than lower-responders (LR). Methods: Untr...

It is well-established that creatine supplementation augments the gains in muscle mass and performance during periods of resistance training. However, whether the timing of creatine ingestion influences these physical and physiological adaptations is unclear. Muscle contractions increase blood flow and possibly creatine transport kinetics which has...

The bacteria inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract contribute to numerous host functions and can be altered by lifestyle factors. We aimed to determine whether a 6-week training intervention altered fecal microbiome diversity and/or function in older males. Fecal samples were collected prior to and following a 6-week twice-weekly supervised resista...

Limited pre-clinical and clinical data suggest theacrine or theacrine-based supplements modulate biological processes associated with lipid metabolism and aging. Herein, we sought to examine if 12 weeks of daily supplementation with a theacrine-based supplement (termed NAD3®; 312 mg of combined Wasabia japonica freeze-dried rhizome standardized for...

This study assesses if a lower dose of whey protein can provide similar benefits to those shown in previous work supplementing Army Initial Entry Training (IET) Soldiers with two servings of whey protein (WP) per day. Eighty-one soldiers consumed one WP or a calorie matched carbohydrate (CHO) serving/day during IET (WP: n = 39, height = 173 ± 8 cm,...

We evaluated the effects of higher-load (HL) versus (lower-load) higher-volume (HV) resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, strength, and muscle-level molecular adaptations. Trained men (n = 15, age: 23 ± 3 years; training experience: 7 ± 3 years) performed unilateral lower-body training for 6 weeks (3× weekly), where single legs were r...

Background: Skeletal muscle adaptations are affected by resistance training (RT)-induced acute and chronic transcriptional responses. An under-explored gene target involved in mechanotransduction is the expression of the G protein-coupled receptor 56 (GPR56). However, studies investigating the acute and chronic effects of RT manipulations on GPR56...

We sought to determine if manipulating resistance training (RT) variables differentially altered the expression of select sarcoplasmic and myofibril proteins as well as myofibrillar spacing in myofibers. Resistance-trained men ( n = 20; 26 ± 3 years old) trained for 8 weeks where a randomized leg performed either a standard (CON) or variable RT pro...

Protein supplementation is a commonly employed strategy to enhance resistance training adaptations. However, little research to date has examined if peanut protein supplementation is effective in this regard. Thus, we sought to determine if peanut protein supplementation (PP; 75 total g/d of powder providing 30 g/d protein, >9.2 g/d essential amino...

Muscle protein synthesis and proteolysis are tightly coupled processes. Given that muscle growth is promoted by increases in net protein balance, it stands to reason that bolstering protein synthesis through amino acids while reducing or inhibiting proteolysis could be a synergistic strategy in enhancing anabolism. However, there is contradictory e...

Human muscle fibers are generally classified by myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms characterized by slow to fast contractile speeds. Type I, or slow-twitch fibers, are seen in high abundance in elite endurance athletes, such as long-distance runners and cyclists. Alternatively, fast-twitch IIa and IIx fibers are abundant in elite power athletes, suc...

Skeletal muscle adaptations to resistance and endurance training include increased ribosome and mitochondrial biogenesis, respectively. Such adaptations are believed to contribute to the notable increases in hypertrophy and aerobic capacity observed with each exercise mode. Data from multiple studies suggest the existence of a competition between r...

Resistance training (RT) dynamically alters the skeletal muscle nuclear DNA methylome. However, no study has examined if RT affects the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) methylome. Herein, ten older, Caucasian untrained males (65 ± 7 y.o.) performed six weeks of full‐body RT (twice weekly). Body composition and knee extensor torque were assessed prior to a...

Resistance training increases muscle fiber hypertrophy, but the morphological adaptations that occur within muscle fibers remain largely unresolved. Fifteen males with minimal training experience (24±4years, 23.9±3.1kg/m2 body mass index) performed 10weeks of conventional, full-body resistance training (2× weekly). Body composition, the radiologica...

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) designates the boundary area between cognitive function in natural aging and dementia, and this is viewed as a therapeutic window to prevent the occurrence of dementia. The current study investigated the neurocognitive effects of oral creatine (Cr) supplementation in young female Wistar rats that received intracerebr...

Naked mole-rats (NMR) and Damaraland mole-rats (DMR) are the only two eusocial mammals known. Both species exhibit extraordinary longevity for their body size, high tolerance to hypoxia and oxidative stress and high reproductive output; these collectively defy the concept that all life-history traits should be negatively correlated. However, when l...

Creatine (Cr) and phosphocreatine (PCr) are physiologically essential molecules for life, given they serve as rapid and localized support of energy- and mechanical-dependent processes. This evolutionary advantage is based on the action of creatine kinase (CK) isozymes that connect places of ATP synthesis with sites of ATP consumption (the CK/PCr sy...

The purpose of this study was to validate the efficacy of a customized vitamin-mineral supplement on blood biomarkers in pre-menopausal females. Women (21–40 years old) who were apparently healthy were recruited from the local community (ClinicalTrials.gov trial registration NCT03828097). Pretesting (PRE) occurred in the morning 5 ± 2 days followin...

Aim We evaluated the effects of higher-load (HL) versus (lower-load) higher-volume (HV) resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, strength, and muscle-level molecular markers. Methods Trained men (n=15, age: 23±3 y; training experience: 7±3 y) performed unilateral lower body training for 6 weeks (3x weekly), where single legs were assign...

Vann, CG, Haun, CT, Osburn, SC, Romero, MA, Roberson, PA, Mumford, PW, Mobley, CB, Holmes, HM, Fox, CD, Young, KC, and Roberts, MD. Molecular differences in skeletal muscle after 1 week of active vs. passive recovery from high-volume resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 35(8): 2102-2113, 2021-Numerous studies have evaluated how deloading after...