'Exerkines': A Comprehensive Term for the Factors Produced in Response to Exercise

doi:10.3390/biomedicines12091975

Review

. 2024 Sep 1;12(9):1975.

doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12091975.

'Exerkines': A Comprehensive Term for the Factors Produced in Response to Exercise

Giuseppe Novelli^{1

2

3

4}, Giuseppe Calcaterra⁵, Federico Casciani¹, Sergio Pecorelli^{2

3

4

6}, Jawahar L Mehta^{2

3

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00173 Rome, Italy.
² Giovanni Lorenzini Medical Foundation, 20129 Milan, Italy.
³ Giovanni Lorenzini Medical Foundation New York, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677, USA.
⁴ Italian Federation of Sports Medicine, 00196 Rome, Italy.
⁵ Postgraduate Medical School of Cardiology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
⁶ School of Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
⁷ Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.

PMID: 39335489
PMCID: PMC11429193
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12091975

Review

'Exerkines': A Comprehensive Term for the Factors Produced in Response to Exercise

Giuseppe Novelli et al. Biomedicines. 2024.

. 2024 Sep 1;12(9):1975.

doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12091975.

Authors

Giuseppe Novelli^{1

2

3

4}, Giuseppe Calcaterra⁵, Federico Casciani¹, Sergio Pecorelli^{2

3

4

6}, Jawahar L Mehta^{2

3

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00173 Rome, Italy.
² Giovanni Lorenzini Medical Foundation, 20129 Milan, Italy.
³ Giovanni Lorenzini Medical Foundation New York, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677, USA.
⁴ Italian Federation of Sports Medicine, 00196 Rome, Italy.
⁵ Postgraduate Medical School of Cardiology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
⁶ School of Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
⁷ Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.

PMID: 39335489
PMCID: PMC11429193
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12091975

Abstract

Regular exercise and physical activity are now considered lifestyle factors with positive effects on human health. Physical activity reduces disease burden, protects against the onset of pathologies, and improves the clinical course of disease. Unlike pharmacological therapies, the effects mediated by exercise are not limited to a specific _target organ but act in multiple biological systems simultaneously. Despite the substantial health benefits of physical training, the precise molecular signaling processes that lead to structural and functional tissue adaptation remain largely unknown. Only recently, several bioactive molecules have been discovered that are produced following physical exercise. These molecules are collectively called "exerkines". Exerkines are released from various tissues in response to exercise, and play a crucial role in mediating the beneficial effects of exercise on the body. Major discoveries involving exerkines highlight their diverse functions and health implications, particularly in metabolic regulation, neuroprotection, and muscle adaptation. These molecules, including peptides, nucleic acids, lipids, and microRNAs, act through paracrine, endocrine, and autocrine pathways to exert their effects on various organs and tissues. Exerkines represent a complex network of signaling molecules that mediate the multiple benefits of exercise. Their roles in metabolic regulation, neuroprotection, and muscle adaptation highlight the importance of physical activity in maintaining health and preventing disease.

Keywords: biomolecules; exerkines; inflammation; omics; physical exercise.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Cited by

Exercise, Neuroprotective Exerkines, and Parkinson's Disease: A Narrative Review.
Mitchell AK, Bliss RR, Church FC. Mitchell AK, et al. Biomolecules. 2024 Sep 30;14(10):1241. doi: 10.3390/biom14101241. Biomolecules. 2024. PMID: 39456173 Free PMC article. Review.

References

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1. García-Hermoso A., Ramírez-Vélez R., Díez J., González A., Izquierdo M. Exercise Training-Induced Changes in Exerkine Concentrations May Be Relevant to the Metabolic Control of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J. Sport Health Sci. 2023;12:147–157. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2022.11.003. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Chow L.S., Gerszten R.E., Taylor J.M., Pedersen B.K., van Praag H., Trappe S., Febbraio M.A., Galis Z.S., Gao Y., Haus J.M., et al. Exerkines in health, resilience and disease. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 2022;18:273–289. doi: 10.1038/s41574-022-00641-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Wróbel M., Gołaś A., Rokicka D., Pyka Ł., Szewczyk M., Stołtny T., Roczniok R., Gąsior M., Strojek K. The Influence of Resistance Training on Muscle Strength, Irisin Concentration, and Metabolic Parameters in Type 1 Diabetic Patients. Endokrynol. Pol. 2022;73:96–102. doi: 10.5603/EP.a2022.0002. - DOI - PubMed

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[1] Piercy K.L., Troiano R.P., Ballard R.M., Carlson S.A., Fulton J.E., Galuska D.A., George S.M., Olson R.D. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA. 2018;320:2020–2028. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.14854. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[2] Piercy K.L., Troiano R.P., Ballard R.M., Carlson S.A., Fulton J.E., Galuska D.A., George S.M., Olson R.D. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA. 2018;320:2020–2028. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.14854. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[3] Seo D.Y., Ko J.R., Jang J.E., Kim T.N., Youm J.B., Kwak H.B., Bae J., Kim A.H., Ko K.S., Rhee B.D., et al. Exercise as a Potential Therapeutic _target for Diabetic Cardiomyopathy: Insight Into the Underlying Mechanisms. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019;20:6284. doi: 10.3390/ijms20246284. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[4] Seo D.Y., Ko J.R., Jang J.E., Kim T.N., Youm J.B., Kwak H.B., Bae J., Kim A.H., Ko K.S., Rhee B.D., et al. Exercise as a Potential Therapeutic _target for Diabetic Cardiomyopathy: Insight Into the Underlying Mechanisms. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019;20:6284. doi: 10.3390/ijms20246284. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[5] García-Hermoso A., Ramírez-Vélez R., Díez J., González A., Izquierdo M. Exercise Training-Induced Changes in Exerkine Concentrations May Be Relevant to the Metabolic Control of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J. Sport Health Sci. 2023;12:147–157. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2022.11.003. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[6] García-Hermoso A., Ramírez-Vélez R., Díez J., González A., Izquierdo M. Exercise Training-Induced Changes in Exerkine Concentrations May Be Relevant to the Metabolic Control of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J. Sport Health Sci. 2023;12:147–157. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2022.11.003. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[7] Chow L.S., Gerszten R.E., Taylor J.M., Pedersen B.K., van Praag H., Trappe S., Febbraio M.A., Galis Z.S., Gao Y., Haus J.M., et al. Exerkines in health, resilience and disease. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 2022;18:273–289. doi: 10.1038/s41574-022-00641-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Chow L.S., Gerszten R.E., Taylor J.M., Pedersen B.K., van Praag H., Trappe S., Febbraio M.A., Galis Z.S., Gao Y., Haus J.M., et al. Exerkines in health, resilience and disease. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 2022;18:273–289. doi: 10.1038/s41574-022-00641-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Wróbel M., Gołaś A., Rokicka D., Pyka Ł., Szewczyk M., Stołtny T., Roczniok R., Gąsior M., Strojek K. The Influence of Resistance Training on Muscle Strength, Irisin Concentration, and Metabolic Parameters in Type 1 Diabetic Patients. Endokrynol. Pol. 2022;73:96–102. doi: 10.5603/EP.a2022.0002. - DOI - PubMed

[10] Wróbel M., Gołaś A., Rokicka D., Pyka Ł., Szewczyk M., Stołtny T., Roczniok R., Gąsior M., Strojek K. The Influence of Resistance Training on Muscle Strength, Irisin Concentration, and Metabolic Parameters in Type 1 Diabetic Patients. Endokrynol. Pol. 2022;73:96–102. doi: 10.5603/EP.a2022.0002. - DOI - PubMed

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'Exerkines': A Comprehensive Term for the Factors Produced in Response to Exercise

Affiliations

'Exerkines': A Comprehensive Term for the Factors Produced in Response to Exercise

Authors

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Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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