Skeletal muscle has been emerging as a research field since the past 2 decades. Contraction of a muscle, which acts as a secretory organ, stimulates production, secretion, and expression of cytokines or other muscle fiber-derived peptides, i.e., myokines. Exercise-induced myokines influence crosstalk between different organs in an autocrine, endocrine, or paracrine fashion. Myokines are recently recognized as potential candidates for treating metabolic diseases through their ability to stimulate AMP-activated protein kinase signaling, increase glucose uptake, and improve lipolysis. Myokines may have positive effects on metabolic disorders, type 2 diabetes, or obesity. Numerous studies on myokines suggested that myokines offer a potential treatment option for preventing metabolic diseases.
Many studies have demonstrated the benefits of exercise in preventing all-cause mortality, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, and cancer.1, 2, 3 Exercise reduces the risk of death by preventing metabolic diseases and protects against chronic diseases. Organ-to-organ crosstalk involving muscle contraction at the molecular level is emerging as a field related to exercise. Additionally, adipokines are identified as hormones that mediate crosstalk between adipose tissue and brain, as well as metabolic functions during the activation of tissues. The proinflammatory role of various adipocyte-produced adipokines has also been identified. Tumor necrosis factor, chemokine C–C motif ligand 2, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 are proinflammatory adipokines that are overly secreted in obesity, leading to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Proinflammatory effects of these adipokines have now been clearly recognized to be counterbalanced by the protective effects of skeletal muscle-secreted peptides.
Small changes induced by exercise can create a ripple effect of benefits to the entire body. It is well known that exercise satisfies essential requirements for a healthy life. Regular physical activity or exercise can prevent chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and cognitive disorders. Findings from previous studies indicated that exercise-induced myokines might be the potential candidates to provide beneficial effects by stimulating metabolic pathways, improving glucose uptake, improving fat oxidation, and regulating skeletal muscle regeneration.
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