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Exercise mimetics: molecular mechanisms, biological and therapeutic effects
Jienan Zhang1, Qi Shao1, Teng Cheng1
1Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology of Ministry of Education, Naval Medical University (NMU), Shanghai, China.
Molecular Biomedicine
|June 3, 2026
Summary
Exercise mimetics offer a promising therapeutic strategy for individuals unable to exercise, activating exercise-responsive pathways to mimic physical activity
Area of Science:
- Exercise biology
- Pharmacology
- Biomedical research
Background:
- Exercise provides significant health benefits but is inaccessible for many patients due to frailty or disease.
- Exercise mimetics are interventions designed to activate exercise-responsive pathways and mimic physical activity's adaptive responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the conceptual foundations, classification, and biological rationale of exercise mimetics.
- To organize the field by major mechanisms and examine their role in normal physiology and disease.
- To evaluate emerging applications and clinical/translational advances.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on exercise mimetics, their mechanisms, and applications.
- Organization of the field based on key biological pathways (e.g., neurotrophic signaling, metabolism, epigenetics).
- Evaluation of preclinical and clinical evidence for various diseases.
Main Results:
- Exercise mimetics target pathways like neurotrophic signaling, redox regulation, immune modulation, and metabolism.
- These pathways influence metabolic homeostasis, neurodevelopment, cognition, aging, angiogenesis, and inflammation.
- Emerging applications include cancer, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory diseases, focusing on neuroregeneration and repair.
Conclusions:
- Exercise mimetics present a scalable, mechanism-informed therapeutic strategy.
- Most current evidence is preclinical, with significant challenges in pharmacokinetics, safety, and patient heterogeneity.
- Further research and clinical trials are needed for successful implementation.
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