Research
Hormonal
Exercise-induced secretion of myokines like IL-6 and BDNF mediates anti-inflammatory responses and improves glucose metabolism and fat oxidation.
Regular exercise helps control inflammation and blood sugar by triggering your muscles to release beneficial hormones like IL-6 and BDNF. This is a key reason why physical activity is prescribed for metabolic health.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Exercise training is known to have health-beneficial effects by mediating systemic anti-inflammatory responses. The molecular mechanisms that underlie exercise-related anti-inflammatory effects have been partially explained by muscle contraction–induced myokines.
Why this rating
Review of existing literature; notes some controversy regarding specific myokines like irisin in humans.
Source
Skeletal Muscle Is an Endocrine Organ
Kenji Iizuka et al. · Journal of Pharmacological Sciences · 2014
DOI 10.1254/jphs.14r02cp
narrative_reviewCited 191×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Skeletal muscle functions as an endocrine organ by synthesizing and secreting myokines (e.g., IL-6, irisin, BDNF) in response to contraction, which exert beneficial effects on remote organs and systemic metabolism.Moderate
- Myostatin acts as a negative regulator of muscle growth, and its inhibition is a therapeutic target for muscle disorders and metabolic diseases.Moderate
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