How does follistatin inhibit myostatin to promote muscle growth?

Follistatin is a naturally occurring protein that binds directly to myostatin with high affinity, preventing myostatin from activating its receptor and executing its inhibitory effect on muscle development. By blocking this biological "brake" on muscle hypertrophy, follistatin enables greater muscle cell proliferation and growth through both increased fiber count and fiber diameter. Research shows that follistatin works through pathways independent of just myostatin inhibition, also activating the Akt/mTOR pathway to increase protein synthesis in muscle fibers.