Myokines and Resistance Training: A Narrative Review

Abstract

In the last few years, the muscular system has gained attention due to the discovery of the muscle-secretome and its high potency for retaining or regaining health. These cytokines, described as myokines, released by the working muscle, are involved in anti-inflammatory, metabolic and immunological processes. These are able to influence human health in a positive way and are a target of research in metabolic diseases, cancer, neurological diseases, and other non-communicable diseases. Therefore, different types of exercise training were investigated in the last few years to find associations between exercise, myokines and their effects on human health. Particularly, resistance training turned out to be a powerful stimulus to enhance myokine release. As there are different types of resistance training, different myokines are stimulated, depending on the mode of training. This narrative review gives an overview about resistance training and how it can be utilized to stimulate myokine production in order to gain a certain health effect. Finally, the question of why resistance training is an important key regulator in human health will be discussed.

The Role of Crosstalk between Adipose Cells and Myocytes in the Pathogenesis of Sarcopenic Obesity in the Elderly

“…There is some evidence that the release of some myokines by the skeletal muscle is increased by physical activity, across all age groups [ 191 , 192 ]. Yet the evidence currently available paints a complex picture, and there are still some gaps concerning the types and intensity of physical exercise required [ 193 ].…”

Myokine Response to Resistance Exercise in Older Adults and the Similarities and Differences to Younger Adults: A Brief Narrative Review

“…Myokines are postulated to contribute to the hypertrophic effects of skeletal muscle associated with exercise [14] with many myokines preferentially up-or down-regulated in response to resistance exercise [12]. Exercise induced myokine expression may be specifically valuable in older age because of the variety of therapeutic roles they may play in maintaining health with increasing age [7].…”

“…However, most research to date has investigated the myokine response in older adults to aerobic type exercise (i.e., walking, running, cycling) with fewer studies investigating the response to resistance exercise [7]. Resistance exercise is a potent stimulus for myokine secretion in younger adults [12]; therefore, the purpose of this review is to outline the response of select myokines to resistance exercise in older adults and compare this response to younger adults.…”

Influence of Maternal Exercise on Maternal and Offspring Metabolic Outcomes

“…This data suggests that maternal exercise-induced cytokine release could have a direct effect on fetal development by inducing specific adaptations that will later shape offspring metabolism. Accordingly, it is reasonable to postulate that different modes of exercise, based on their differences in cytokine expression profiles and differential metabolic demands [96][97][98], could have differing effects on offspring metabolic reprograming.…”