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Activating Autophagy by Aerobic Exercise in Mice
Published on: February 3, 2017
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Does Exercise Regulate Autophagy in Humans? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Xiang-Ke Chen1, Chen Zheng2, Parco Ming-Fai Siu3
1Department of Health Technology and Informatics, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China.
Autophagy Reports
|May 21, 2025
Summary
Exercise impacts human autophagy differently based on type and tissue. Resistance exercise acutely suppresses autophagy but chronically enhances it, while endurance exercise shows no significant effect. Skeletal muscle and PBMCs show opposing responses.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Exercise Physiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Macroautophagy/autophagy is a crucial cellular recycling process implicated in various biological functions and diseases.
- While rodent studies suggest exercise regulates autophagy and offers health benefits, human evidence remains inconclusive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze human studies on the effects of physical exercise on autophagy at the protein level.
- To clarify the relationship between different exercise modalities and autophagy regulation in humans.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to September 2022.
- Inclusion of human studies examining exercise effects on autophagy proteins, adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
- Meta-analysis conducted using a random-effects model.
Main Results:
- Twenty-six studies revealed that acute resistance exercise attenuated autophagy (decreased LC3-II, increased SQSTM1), while long-term resistance exercise enhanced it (increased LC3-II, decreased SQSTM1).
- Moderate- to vigorous-intensity endurance exercise, acute or long-term, did not significantly alter LC3-II levels.
- Exercise induced opposing effects on autophagy between skeletal muscle (suppressed) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (activated).
Conclusions:
- Physical exercise regulates human autophagy in a manner dependent on the exercise modality and tissue type.
- Further research is warranted to fully elucidate these complex interactions.
- Tailored exercise prescriptions are recommended for modulating autophagy in humans.
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