Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
08:44
Activating Autophagy by Aerobic Exercise in Mice
Published on: February 3, 2017
Exercise induces autophagy in peripheral tissues and in the brain
Congcong He1, Rhea Sumpter, Beth Levine
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Autophagy Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
Autophagy
|August 16, 2012
Summary
Physical exercise triggers autophagy, a cellular process crucial for metabolic health. Impaired autophagy in mice blocks exercise benefits, highlighting its role in exercise-induced metabolic improvements.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Metabolism
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Physical exercise is a newly identified inducer of autophagy in vivo.
- Exercise-induced autophagy occurs in key metabolic organs including muscle, liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physiological role of exercise-induced autophagy.
- To determine if impaired autophagy affects exercise-mediated metabolic benefits.
Main Methods:
- Generated mice with a nonphosphorylatable BCL2 mutation (BCL2 AAA) defective in induced autophagy.
- Assessed treadmill running capacity, skeletal muscle glucose uptake, and response to high-fat diet and exercise training in BCL2 AAA mice.
Main Results:
- BCL2 AAA mice exhibited reduced endurance and impaired exercise-mediated skeletal muscle glucose uptake.
- These mice failed to reverse high-fat diet-induced glucose intolerance after exercise training.
- Treadmill exercise was also found to induce autophagy in the cerebral cortex.
Conclusions:
- Autophagy plays a critical role in mediating the metabolic benefits of exercise.
- Exercise-induced autophagy may have implications for neuroprotection, neurogenesis, and cognitive function.
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