["Acta Physiologica, Accepted Article. ", "\nAbstract\n\nAim:\nSprint exercise is characterized by repeated sessions of brief intermittent exercise at a high relative workload. However, little is known about the effect on mTOR pathway, an important link in regulation of muscle protein synthesis. An earlier training study showed a greater increase in muscle fibre cross sectional area in females than males. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that activation of mTOR signalling is more pronounced in females than in males. Healthy males (n=9) and females (n=8) performed three bouts of 30‐s sprint exercise with 20 min rest between.\n\n\nMethods:\nMultiple blood samples were collected over time and muscle biopsy specimens were obtained at rest and 140 min after the last sprint.\n\n\nResults:\nSerum insulin increased by sprint exercise and more so in females than in males (gender (g) x time (t):P=0.04. In skeletal muscle, phosphorylation of Akt increased by 50% (t, P=0.001) and mTOR by 120% (t, P=0.002) independent of gender. The elevation in p70S6k phosphorylation was larger in females (g x t, P=0.03) and averaged 230% (P=0.006) as compared to 60% in males (P=0.04). Phosphorylation rpS6 increased by 660% over time independent of gender (t, P=0.003). Increase in phosphorylation of p70S6k was directly related to increase in serum insulin (r=0.68, P=0.004).\n\n\nConclusion:\nIt is concluded that repeated 30‐s all out bouts of sprint exercise separated by 20 min of rest, increases Akt/mTOR signalling in skeletal muscle. Secondly, signalling downstream of mTOR was stronger in females than in males after sprint exercise indicated by increased phosphorylation of p70S6k.\n\n"]