Physical Exercise Increases the Rate of Glucose Uptake into Skeletal Muscle

Abstract

Physical exercise increases the rate of glucose uptake into skeletal muscle. The translocation of Glut4 from an intracellular location to the plasma membrane and transverse tubules is thought to be the major mechanism by which exercise increases speletal muscle glucose transport. Despite the physical importance of exercise in regulating glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, the molecular mechanisms that mediate this important phenomenon are still not fully understood. However, several studies suggest that the molecule AMPK is the critical mediator of exercise-stimulated glucose uptake.