Research
Hormonal
Aerobic exercise preferentially induces oxidative fiber myokines (e.g., SDF1, irisin) which protect against cancer-induced atrophy, while anaerobic exercise induces glycolytic fiber myokines (e.g., IGF-1) that enhance protein synthesis.
To maximize muscle protection, vary your exercise. Aerobic exercise (like walking or cycling) boosts factors that stop muscle breakdown, while strength training boosts factors that build muscle. Combining both may offer the best myokine profile.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Aerobic exercise induces... PGC1-α... directly antagonizes protein catabolism... Conversely, anaerobic exercise, by stimulating mainly myofibrillar protein synthesis... may obviate muscle wasting by enhancing protein synthesis.
Why this rating
Based on a review of multiple studies showing fiber-type specific myokine secretion.
Source
Exercise-Induced Myokines With Therapeutic Potential for Muscle Wasting
Rosanna Piccirillo · Frontiers in Physiology · 2019
DOI 10.3389/fphys.2019.00287
narrative_reviewCited 180×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Exercise-induced myokines (exerkines) such as SDF1, irisin, and SPARC counteract muscle wasting in diseases like cancer cachexia, COPD, and aging by modulating protein synthesis and degradation pathways.Moderate
- Myostatin and GDF11 are myokines that promote muscle wasting and are elevated in conditions like cancer, COPD, and aging, whereas exercise can reduce myostatin and restore other protective myokines.Moderate
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