Interventions against acquired skeletal muscle atrophy strengthen muscle function and fiber size, but they appear to remodel the molecular machinery of mitochondria in a selective rather than wholesale fashion, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Food Science and Biotechnology. The analysis, conducted under PRISMA 2020 guidelines, synthesized 16 preclinical studies that measured grip strength, myofiber cross-sectional area, and markers of mitochondrial fusion and fission.
Across the pooled studies, interventions produced a standardized mean difference of 2.27 in grip strength, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.24 to 3.29, and a standardized mean difference of 1.54 in myofiber cross-sectional area, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.80 to 2.27. These effect sizes indicate substantial functional and structural gains in the atrophied muscle models examined, though the evidence base is limited to preclinical research rather than human trials.
When the researchers grouped the molecular markers by pathway, the picture became more nuanced. Pooled analyses found no significant overall changes in fusion markers or fission markers as pathway-level categories. This absence of a consistent directional shift suggests that interventions do not uniformly push mitochondrial dynamics toward either greater fusion or greater fission in atrophying muscle.
Protein-level analysis told a different story. The meta-analysis identified a significant increase in OPA1, a key mediator of inner mitochondrial membrane fusion, with a standardized mean difference of 1.40 and a 95% confidence interval of 0.29 to 2.50. It also detected a significant decrease in FIS1, a protein involved in mitochondrial fission, with a standardized mean difference of −1.62 and a 95% confidence interval of −2.70 to −0.53.
A third marker, MFN1, another fusion-associated protein, showed a standardized mean difference of 1.79 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.38 to 3.21. However, this effect was attenuated after the researchers adjusted for within-study dependence, a statistical step that accounts for multiple comparisons drawn from the same experimental subjects. The attenuation underscores how pooling correlated data can initially inflate apparent effects.
Acquired skeletal muscle atrophy impairs muscle function, potentially through dysregulated mitochondrial dynamics. Mitochondria continually undergo fusion and fission, processes that govern organelle quality, network morphology, and energy supply in muscle fibers. Disruption of these processes has been implicated in the loss of muscle mass and strength, making the fusion and fission machinery a target of interest for pharmacological and nutritional interventions.
The selective pattern observed in this meta-analysis, with OPA1 rising and FIS1 falling while pathway-level totals remained unchanged, suggests that interventions may fine-tune individual proteins rather than produce consistent shifts across entire fusion or fission pathways. Such remodeling could reflect compensatory adjustments that preserve mitochondrial quality without wholesale reprogramming of dynamics.
Because the synthesis drew exclusively on preclinical studies, the findings describe animal or cell models of acquired atrophy and cannot yet be extended to clinical outcomes in patients. The authors note that whether pharmacological or nutritional interventions alter fusion and fission pathways has remained uncertain, and the selective marker changes reported here add granularity to that question rather than resolving it definitively.
The work, authored by Sungmin Chung, Junghoo Won, Lei Cao, Junhee Lee, and Gwang-woong Go, was published online on 02 November 2026. Its standardized effect estimates for grip strength, fiber size, and individual dynamics proteins provide a quantitative baseline for future studies aiming to link mitochondrial dynamics remodeling with functional recovery in atrophied muscle.
Subject of Research: Systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical interventions for acquired muscle atrophy and their effects on mitochondrial fusion and fission markers
Article Title: Selective remodeling of mitochondrial dynamics markers following interventions for acquired muscle atrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Article References: Chung, S., Won, J., Cao, L., Lee, J., & Go, G.-W. (2026). Selective remodeling of mitochondrial dynamics markers following interventions for acquired muscle atrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Food Science and Biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-026-02361-z
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1007/s10068-026-02361-z
Keywords: muscle atrophy, mitochondrial dynamics, meta-analysis, OPA1, FIS1, MFN1, grip strength, myofiber cross-sectional area, preclinical studies, fusion, fission, PRISMA
News Source: Gregory Coleman. (November 5, 2026). Muscle atrophy interventions selectively reshape mitochondrial dynamics markers, meta-analysis finds. Scienmag.
