Scientists recently* pointed out that a substance within us, ".... tumor necrosis factor a (TNFa), originally part of a group of 'small proteins which cause a catabolic--protein destroying--effect], is thought to play a role in skeletal muscle wasting that occurs with chronic infections, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and other chronic diseases."

These effects have been shown in various studies with animals, one such experiment revealing TNFa's supression of protein synthesis and another showing that it "induces skeletal muscle protein breakdown...."

However, the scientists reveal, ".... resistance exercise 'such as weight-lifting] may 'reduce] this process by suppressing ....TNFa expression"

*Drs. Greiwe, Cheng, Semenkovich et al, Depts. of Medicine and Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington U. School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, in FASEB
Journal, volume 15, 2001.