Fig. 3

Impact of maximum level of mobilization as well as different physiotherapeutic regimens on MSTN gene expression on day 15 and myostatin plasma trajectory. a MSTN gene expression was not influenced by standard physiotherapy (sPT), protocol-based physiotherapy (pPT) or protocol-based physiotherapy with additional muscle activating measures (pPT +) as it was significantly decreased over healthy controls (hc) in all groups. b Myostatin plasma levels showed a similar pattern with decreased values in all critically ill patients independent of the intervention and with a significant recovery of time (GLM: p < 0.001; n = 7 patients receiving sPT, n = 10 receiving pPT and n = 19 receiving pPT + adMeas with values from all three timepoints were analyzed). c MSTN gene expression did not show any difference due to the achieved level of mobilization and neither a reduction over baseline values. d Myostatin plasma trajectory presented similarly without any impact of the achieved level of mobilization but a significant reduction in all critically ill patients. A significant recovery over time was also evident (GLM: p = 0.001; n = 14 patients reaching level 2, n = 10 reaching level 3 and n = 5 reaching level 4 with values from all three timepoints were analyzed). GLM = general linear model for the factor “time” in critically ill; mRNA = messenger ribonucleic acid. ^#p < 0.050, ^##p < 0.010 and ^###p < 0.001 for Kruskal–Wallis test between healthy controls and critically ill. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001 for post hoc test comparison with healthy controls