We have talked several times about the long-lasting issues related to growth restriction of a fetus during pregnancy:

Intrauterine growth restriction increases risk of cardiovascular disease as adults

Intrauterine growth restriction increases risk of insulin resistance as adults

It can also result in offspring that have smaller muscles. New research published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology suggests this may be due to adaptations to the reduced availability of oxygen and nutrients resulting in decreased ability for muscle to take up and use amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

Source

EI Chang, SR Wesolowski, EA Gilje, PR Baker II, JA Reisz, A D’Alessandro, WW Hay Jr, PJ Rozance, LD Brown. Skeletal muscle amino acid uptake is lower and alanine production is greater in late gestation intrauterine growth-restricted fetal sheep hindlimb. American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 317(5): R615-R629, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00115.2019

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Categories: Diet and Exercise, Reproduction and Development, Stress

Tags: American Journal of Physiology, American Physiological Society, cardiovascular disease, fetus, growth, insulin resistance, intrauterine, muscle