Structural changes in human myotubes lead to impaired human myotube contractility under metformin treatment

Background Physical activity is a cornerstone in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes and metformin is a first-line oral glucose-lowering drug. There is clinical evidence that health beneficial effects of exercise, like improvement of insulin sensitivity or increase in muscle mass, are blunted or even antagonized under metformin therapy. However, skeletal muscle has been poorly investigated in this context from a molecular perspective.