Abstract Background Symptom burden and adverse treatment effects can negatively impact physical function, health-related outcomes, and quality of life in cancer survivors. Resistive exercise that improves skeletal muscle function can ameliorate these complications, but the central role of the skeletal muscle in mediating improvements in patient-related outcomes has not been explored. This protocol describes the rationale and methods for a systematic review that aims to determine the effects of resistive exercise on the skeletal muscle...