A recent research project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has shed new light on the response of bodily tissues to exercise training in young adult rats. The study, conducted by the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC), revealed that over 35,000 biological molecules adapt to endurance exercise.
The study, which included analyses of 19 tissue types, found that all tissues responded to exercise in a variety of ways, with effects on genes, proteins, and metabolites. One of the most significant findings was the difference in responses between male and female rats, which were more pronounced than expected. This highlights the importance of including both sexes in pre-clinical research to fully understand the effects of exercise on health.
Unique responses to exercise were observed in each tissue, with a noticeable impact on mitochondrial functions throughout the body. The research also uncovered striking differences in responses between male and female rats in tissues such as the brain, adrenal gland, lung, and fat tissue.
By tracking the impact of exercise on biological molecules, scientists are creating a detailed map of molecular changes in the body following physical activity. The ongoing study in humans aims to enhance our understanding of how individuals respond to exercise and how these responses can vary.
The findings of this research, published in Nature in 2024, could have significant implications for personalized exercise recommendations to treat or prevent various health conditions. The data from the study is publicly available for further analysis, encouraging more hypotheses from the biomedical community. The MoTrPAC consortium continues to work towards uncovering how exercise improves and maintains health at the molecular level.
