Hypothesizing Components of a Hypoxia Survival Kit for Mammalian Skeletal Muscle

The necessity of oxygen (O2) for cell function and survival is a universal principle of mammalian biology. Therefore, maintaining proper O2 homeostasis is a critical necessity of biological systems. Hypoxia is generally defined as compromised O2 availability within a given system, which can occur due to environmental or pathological conditions. Hypoxia is detrimental to cell structure and function especially within organ systems that involve high energetic demands like skeletal muscle. Thus, identifying mechanisms that tissues like skeletal muscle can utilize to survive hypoxia is necessary. The present review aims to summarize the cellular and molecular consequences of acute hypoxia on mammalian skeletal muscle. We will further hypothesize what we consider to be key cellular requirements of a skeletal muscle to survive an acute hypoxic insult.