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Exercise metabolism in 2016

Health benefits of exercise — more than meets the eye!

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 13, pages 72–74 (2017)Cite this article

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Although regular physical activity can prevent or reduce the risk of many age-related diseases, the molecular mechanisms underpinning the protective effects of exercise are largely unknown. In 2016, a series of studies demonstrated that crosstalk between tissues during exercise can protect against metabolic disease, cancer, retinal degeneration and memory loss. These studies provide a molecular basis for the concept of 'exercise as medicine'.

Since ∼450 bc, physical activity has been known to be able to prevent chronic disease. Quotes attributed to Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, include: “Walking is man's best medicine” and “If there is a deficiency in food and exercise the body will fall sick”. Now, even short periods of physical inactivity are known to be associated with disruption of metabolic homeostasis, which manifests as decreased insulin sensitivity, reduced postprandial lipid clearance, loss of muscle mass and accumulation of visceral adiposity1. These acute changes provide a link between physical inactivity and an increased risk of developing many diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease, cancers such as those of the colon and breast, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, erectile dysfunction and polycystic ovary syndrome1,2. The benefits of physical activity have been attributed to several mechanisms, which include reduced adiposity, increased cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max)), reduced levels of circulating lipids and the maintenance of muscle mass. However, in the current millennium, research has shown that, during exercise, proteins, peptides, enzymes and metabolites are released from one organ (mainly contracting skeletal muscle) to affect the metabolism in another organ.

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Figure 1: The multiple benefits of exercise.

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Acknowledgements

The author is a senior principal research fellow of The National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (supported by grant APP11021168).

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  1. Division of Diabetes and Metabolism, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, 2010, NSW, Australia

    Mark A. Febbraio

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Correspondence to Mark A. Febbraio.

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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Febbraio, M. Health benefits of exercise — more than meets the eye!. Nat Rev Endocrinol 13, 72–74 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.218

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