TraDeRe (Resistance TRAining, DEtraining, and REtraining)
Research Council of Finland
Funding decision number: 357185



Table of contents
Project description
While the diverse health and performance benefits of resistance training (RT) are widely recognized, some individuals demonstrate notably divergent responses to RT intervention. Indeed, some of these individuals exhibit robust increases in muscle mass and/or strength well above mean values, while the others experience only marginal increases despite undergoing an identical RT regimen. This phenomenon is termed inter-individual response variation to RT. However, despite the prevalence of these research findings, the precise underlying mechanisms causing and contributing to these differential RT responses remain primarily ambiguous. Furthermore, current evidence on the topic suggests that more high-quality evidence is required to explore the existence of inter-individual response variation.
Our randomized controlled study aims to investigate the cellular, molecular, and neuromuscular mechanisms behind the plausible RT response variability. Moreover, as the impact of diverse polygenic effects on RT responsiveness is yet to be determined, we will employ a multi-OMIC (genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic) approach to unravel previously unknown denominators of RT responsiveness.
Our research project employs a trial-to-trial design, allowing us to assess the potential inter-individual and intra-individual response variability by conducting two intermittent phases of RT, separated by detraining. The results of this study can reveal yet unknown mechanisms related to RT response variability and guide more personalized exercise.