exercise

Exercise changes our muscles, but its molecular effects depend on the type of exercise. 

Exercise drives the liver to produce the CES2 enzyme, which circulates in blood and delivers some of the benefits of exercise in mice. 

A neural pathway between the gut and the brain led to the release of dopamine when the mice ran on a wheel or treadmill, but only in the presence of a robust microbiome. 

A study reveals a molecular pathway linking exercise to an amped-up immune response to pancreatic cancer and greater responsiveness to treatment.

A study that transfused plasma from active to inactive mice suggests the protein clusterin enhances cognition.

Mice lacking irisin didn’t exhibit the cognition improvements that typically follow exercise, and in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, treatment with the hormone reduced cognitive decline.

Researchers identify a role for PIEZO1 in tendon adaptation, and show that people with certain versions of the Piezo1 gene tend to be better jumpers.

Obese mice that exercised while pregnant gave birth to pups that grew up free of the metabolic issues present in the adult young of sedentary obese mothers—possibly by staving off epigenetic changes to a key metabolic gene.

Men given high doses of two antihistamine drugs did not experience the same benefits of high intensity interval training that men on a placebo enjoyed, revealing some of the molecular underpinnings of exercise’s effect.

Healthy people put through high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, displayed insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction after working out excessively.

A study offers a new explanation for how exercise strengthens bones and the immune system.

After weeks of training, the muscles of two macaques exhibited greater responses to stimulation of the reticulospinal tract in the brain stem than they had before, suggesting that strengthening the neural pathway is key to getting stronger. 

A study in two macaques reveals the importance of increasing connectivity between muscles and the reticulospinal tract that runs from the brain stem down the spinal cord.

The researchers behind the results propose that an exercise-induced protein in circulation is responsible for the benefits.

Meet some of the people featured in the April 2020 issue of The Scientist.

Studies point to a role for physical activity in fighting malignancies, improving treatment outcomes, and fostering overall health in patients.

Researchers found that people who spend more time outdoors also spend more time being active and socializing, but it probably doesn’t account for all of the health boost associated with green spaces.

Altering DNA methylation in a particular area of the hypothalamus halved the animals’ voluntary exercise as adults.