Heat shock protein beta-1

Heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1, HSP27) is a small molecular chaperone induced by thermal, mechanical, and oxidative cellular stress, playing a cytoprotective role by preventing protein aggregation and facilitating cytoskeletal stabilisation in stressed cells. Exercise training stimulates HSPB1 expression in skeletal muscle as an adaptive response to repeated mechanical and metabolic stress, with elevated salivary levels reflecting systemic induction of the cellular stress response. Morton et al. (2009) documented exercise-induced HSPB1 expression in skeletal muscle as an indicator of acute and cumulative training load.