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Nature Communications  ·  18 August 2026  ·  From issue 23

The metabokine β-aminoisobutyric acid mediates exercise performance and skeletal muscle adaptation through a PGC1α-BAIBA-PPARδ axis

A muscle-made substance called BAIBA helps control muscle strength and exercise ability in mice.

Helene N. Daou, Nicole T. Watt et al.

A substance made by muscles during exercise helps control how muscles adapt to training. In mice, this substance, called BAIBA, works through a protein switch inside muscle cells. It shapes muscle structure and strength, and it eased muscle problems in diabetic mice. In people, blood levels of one form of BAIBA rise with endurance training and match up with better fitness.

What it could change A muscle-made molecule shapes how mice build strength and adapt to exercise training.

Shown in mice and human muscle cells in dishes, not yet proven in whole human bodies.

Mostly mice and lab cells; human data only shows a correlation.

Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 19 August 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Communications). Read the source

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