Molecular modifications induced by physical exercise: A significant role in disease prevention

Abstract

The pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome is at present only partly understood; however, a sedentary lifestyle, an unhealthy diet, being overweight or obese, and still largely unknown genetic factors clearly interact to cause it [1,2]. People suffering from metabolic syndrome share three or more of the following characteristics: augmented waist circumference, elevated plasma triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein, increased waist circumference, glucose intolerance, and hypertension. Although several studies point to insulin resistance as the principal cause in the development of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, a growing body of evidence highlights the importance of aerobic capacity as a predictor of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases [3-5]. Aerobic capacity, how well an organism can metabolize oxygen and generate energy, depends on the efficiency of oxygen delivery to tissues and the subsequent effectiveness of respiration carried out by mitochondria in those tissues, especially in skeletal muscle. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Italia.