Exercise Regulates Myokines in Aging-Related Diseases through Muscle-Brain Crosstalk

Gerontology. 2024;70(2):193-209. doi: 10.1159/000535339. Epub 2023 Nov 24.

Abstract

Background: The related functions of skeletal muscle and brain decrease significantly with age, and muscle-brain-related diseases are primarily associated with each other. Exercise can promote the secretion of myokines in skeletal muscle, showing a beneficial effect on the function of both, reflecting muscle-brain crosstalk. However, the key mechanism of action of exercise-regulated myokines in muscle-brain diseases remains unclear.

Summary: This review is intended to sort out and explore the key mechanism of the effect of exercise regulatory myokines on muscle-brain diseases through summarizing the relevant literature on the level of motor regulatory myokines in recent years and pay special attention to the impact of exercise type, intensity, and duration on myokine expression levels.

Key messages: The mechanism by which exercise regulates myokine levels in muscle-brain diseases is explained, and an effective exercise prescription for myokine expression that is more suitable for the elderly based on relevant literature is proposed. This work may hold certain value for subsequent exercise treatment of chronic diseases in the elderly and for further research on muscle-brain crosstalk.

Keywords: Aging; Exercise; Muscle-brain crosstalk; Myokines; Older adults.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aging
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain Diseases* / metabolism
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Myokines*

Substances

  • Myokines
  • Cytokines