Fig. 1. Concept of the integration of physiological stimuli in phenotypic responses. Homeostatic perturbations such as those induced by exercise in muscle are integrated via signaling pathways into alterations in gene transcription. The diffusible gene copies produced then provide the message for the instruction of muscle tissue remodeling via translation and assembly of the encoded proteins. Based upon this relationship it is hypothesized that the systematic exploration of differences in transcript levels relative to phenotypic adjustments arising from the impact of exercise will reveal the strategy underlying muscle plasticity.