Rapamycin and Exercise in Mice
Rapamycin does not compromise physical performance or muscle hypertrophy after PoWeR while intermittent rapamycin alleviates glucose disruptions by frequent rapamycin
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Exercise benefits like strength and endurance were preserved even with strong mTORC1 inhibition.
For years, scientists believed mTORC1 activation was essential for muscle growth and adaptation. Blocking it with rapamycin was thought to blunt exercise benefits — but here, mice still got stronger despite the drug.
Practical Takeaways
If using rapamycin while exercising, consider once-weekly dosing instead of more frequent schedules to preserve fat loss and glucose health.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Exercise benefits like strength and endurance were preserved even with strong mTORC1 inhibition.
For years, scientists believed mTORC1 activation was essential for muscle growth and adaptation. Blocking it with rapamycin was thought to blunt exercise benefits — but here, mice still got stronger despite the drug.
Practical Takeaways
If using rapamycin while exercising, consider once-weekly dosing instead of more frequent schedules to preserve fat loss and glucose health.
Publication
Journal
bioRxiv
Year
2025
Authors
Christian J. Elliehausen, Szczepan S Olszewski, Carolyn G Shult, Aditya R. Ailiani, Michaela E Trautman, Reji Babygirija, Dudley Lamming, Troy A. Hornberger, D. Minton, Adam R. Konopka
Related Content
Claims (7)
Taking rapamycin between workouts might help your muscles clean out junk and rebuild stronger as you age — like getting the best of both rest and exercise.
In female mice that run with added weight, giving rapamycin three times a week blocks a key muscle growth signal, but giving it just once a week doesn’t keep that block going — so how often you dose matters.
In female mice that run with added weight, taking a drug called rapamycin makes it harder for their bodies to handle sugar — but doing it less often doesn't hurt as much, so spacing out doses might help reduce the downside.
In female mice that exercised a lot for 8 weeks, taking rapamycin — a drug that affects aging — either once a week or three times a week didn’t stop them from getting stronger or improving their stamina.
In female mice that run a lot, taking rapamycin frequently stops them from losing fat — even though exercise usually helps them slim down.