Exploring exercise-driven exerkines: unraveling the regulation of metabolism and inflammation

Abstract

Exercise has many beneficial effects that provide health and metabolic benefits. Signaling molecules are released from organs and tissues in response to exercise stimuli and are widely termed exerkines, which exert influence on a multitude of intricate multi-tissue processes, such as muscle, adipose tissue, pancreas, liver, cardiovascular tissue, kidney, and bone. For the metabolic effect, exerkines regulate the metabolic homeostasis of organisms by increasing glucose uptake and improving fat synthesis. For the anti-inflammatory effect, exerkines positively influence various chronic inflammation-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. This review highlights the prospective contribution of exerkines in regulating metabolism, augmenting the anti-inflammatory effects, and providing additional advantages associated with exercise. Moreover, a comprehensive overview and analysis of recent advancements are provided in this review, in addition to predicting future applications used as a potential biomarker or therapeutic target to benefit patients with chronic diseases.