Weekly steroids strengthen, repair muscles

In a surprising finding, weekly doses of glucocorticoid steroids, such as prednisone, help speed recovery in muscle injuries, reports a new study. The weekly steroids also repaired muscles damaged by muscular dystrophy. When given daily over long periods, prednisone can cause muscle wasting. But the once weekly doses of the steroid increased proteins that stimulate muscle repair. The studies were conducted in mice, with broad implications for humans.