Physiology explores how living systems function, from the microscopic signals inside a single cell to the complex rhythms of an entire organism. This field seeks to understand the mechanical, physical, and biochemical processes that keep life moving, offering crucial insights into health, disease, and the body's remarkable ability to adapt.

On Gist.Science, we process every new preprint in this category from bioRxiv to make these rapid discoveries accessible to everyone. For each study, we provide both a clear, plain-language explanation and a detailed technical summary, ensuring that whether you are a curious student or a seasoned researcher, you can grasp the latest findings without getting lost in jargon.

The papers listed below represent the newest physiological research recently shared on bioRxiv, ready for you to explore.

❤️ physiology

C26 and CT26 colorectal cancer models exhibit divergent cachexia phenotypes, intramuscular inflammation, and protein turnover signaling

This study demonstrates that while both C26 and CT26 colorectal cancer cell lines induce skeletal muscle atrophy, the C26 model uniquely drives severe systemic cachexia characterized by body weight loss, impaired muscle function, and heightened inflammation, whereas CT26 exhibits a milder phenotype with less impact on overall physical function.

Lu, X., Tlais, H., Rehman, H., Martens, A. N., Hartz, A. L., Figueiredo, V. C., Markworth, J. F.2026-04-24
❤️ physiology

Normobaric hypoxia alters the transcriptional response of healthy human skeletal muscles to a single session of high-intensity interval exercise

This study demonstrates that normobaric hypoxia significantly alters the transcriptional response of human skeletal muscle to high-intensity interval exercise, specifically inducing a unique gene expression profile at 24 hours post-exercise characterized by mitochondrial downregulation and HIF-1 mediated regulation.

Li, J., Taylor, D. F., Kuang, J., Wang, Z., Zare, N., Atakan, M. M., Cui, K., Ouzhu, N., Bianba, B., Garnham, A., Lin, W (…)2026-04-24
❤️ physiology

Mineralization kinetics during embryonic avian bone growth: a three-dimensional multiscale and cryogenic imaging approach

By combining 3D multiscale and cryogenic imaging, this study reveals that accelerating bone growth in embryonic quail is achieved not by increasing the transport speed of individual cells, but by expanding the number of mineralizing cells, thereby maintaining a consistent and perfectly tuned calcium delivery capacity per cell throughout development.

Seewald, A., Zhong, J., Sutaria, V., El Charkawi, I., Valleriani, A., Fratzl, P., Raguin, E.2026-04-15
❤️ physiology

Structural Insights into the Integration of Temperature and pH by Sperm Calcium Channel CatSper

By integrating comparative genomics, AlphaFold3-based structural modeling, and functional validation, this study reveals that the N-terminal domain of the CatSper1 subunit acts as an evolutionary hotspot where histidine-rich clusters sense temperature and pH changes to modulate supramolecular assembly and coordinate sperm calcium channel activation.

Zhao, B., Bhagwat, S., Ferreira, J., Swain, D. K., Santi, C., Fu, Z., Lishko, P. V.2026-04-14
❤️ physiology

Muscle Stiffness and Relaxation as Predictors of Explosive Performance: A Structural Equation Model in Competitive Weightlifters

This study utilized Structural Equation Modeling to demonstrate that muscle stiffness and relaxation time are significant predictors of explosive neuromuscular performance in elite male weightlifters, while other passive mechanical properties like tone and elasticity showed weak or no relationships.

Ismaeel, S. A., Mahdi, U. A., Bader, M., Lateef, N. A., arif, m. A., Abbas, s.2026-04-14
❤️ physiology

High-salt diet modulates endocrine regulation between cortisol and FGF23

This study reveals that high dietary salt intake triggers a novel endocrine cascade by elevating cortisol levels, which subsequently suppresses the bone-derived hormone FGF23 through glucocorticoid receptor activation, thereby linking salt consumption to potential risks for bone, kidney, and cardiovascular health.

Moor, M., Kopper, K., Pechere-Bertschi, A., Sagmeister, M. S., Hardy, R., Feraille, E., Fuster, D. G., Loffing, J., Path (…)2026-04-08
❤️ physiology

Glucokinase activity suppresses hepatic cholesterol synthesis and triglyceride accumulation: A new model for the effects of the GKRP P466L common human variant

This study demonstrates that the common human GKRP P446L variant reduces glucokinase (GCK) activity, which in turn suppresses hepatic cholesterol synthesis and triglyceride accumulation, thereby explaining the variant's association with fatty liver disease and dyslipidemia.

Santoleri, D., Traynor, S., Gavin, M. J., Merrick, D., Seale, P., Titchenell, P. M.2026-04-08
❤️ physiology

Dietary Microplastics Engage Gut Mechanosensory-Endocrine Signaling to Disrupt Bone Homeostasis

This study reveals that chronic dietary ingestion of microplastics disrupts bone homeostasis by activating gut-derived serotonergic signaling through mechanosensory adaptations in enteroendocrine cells, leading to trabecular bone loss without inducing systemic inflammation or intestinal pathology.

Romero, A. S., Phatak, S., Patil, S., Dar, H. Y., Rivas, J. A., Oyebamiji, O. M., Maes, B. B., Goitom, S. S., Madera Enr (…)2026-04-07