Research
Hormonal
Exercise-induced myokines, particularly IL-6, mediate muscle-adipose crosstalk by promoting lipolysis, fat oxidation, and potentially the browning of white adipose tissue, thereby reducing visceral adiposity.
Exercise helps you lose fat by triggering your muscles to release IL-6, which directly stimulates fat breakdown and oxidation. This hormonal signal is crucial for reducing visceral fat, especially when combined with a healthy diet.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In vivo studies show that rhIL-6 enhances lipolysis and fat oxidation in healthy young and elderly humans... It was, however, not until recently that a mechanism underlying the link between exercise and abdominal fat was established... exercise training led to a reduction in visceral adipose tissue mass. However, this effect was abolished by IL-6 receptor blockade.
Why this rating
Strong evidence from human intervention studies using IL-6 receptor blockade.
Source
Muscle–Organ Crosstalk: The Emerging Roles of Myokines
Mai Charlotte Krogh Severinsen et al. · Endocrine Reviews · 2020
DOI 10.1210/endrev/bnaa016
narrative_reviewCited 1,092×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Exercise-induced skeletal muscle secretion of IL-6 mediates metabolic crosstalk, specifically enhancing glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation within muscle and stimulating hepatic glucose production during exercise.Good
- Exercise-induced secretion of myokines like IL-6, BDNF, Cathepsin B, and Irisin mediates muscle-brain crosstalk, promoting hippocampal neurogenesis, cognitive function, and potentially protecting against neurodegenerative diseases.Good
- Exercise-induced myokines, including IL-6, IL-15, and FSTL1, mediate muscle-bone, muscle-skin, and muscle-vascular crosstalk, promoting bone formation, skin health, and cardiovascular protection.Moderate
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