Effects of Exercise on Susceptibility to Environmental and Disease Stressors

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Physiology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 2555

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Health Exercise and Sports, College of Education, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Interests: thermoregulation; exercise health benefits; heat shock proteins; heat acclimation; microgravity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Exercise is often prescribed as a method to prevent or to treat cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, recent data suggest potential mechanisms by which exercise produces substrates (exerkines) which promote crosstalk between all organ systems to maintain health in the face of internal and external stressors. For example, the release of myokines from exercising muscles has been shown to influence the function of the brain, the liver, bone, adipose tissue, blood vessels, the pancreas, and even the skin. Exercise is known to alter gut permeability and intestinal microbiome diversity, with effects on the gut–brain axis and immune function. And the release of heat shock proteins during exercise may increase tolerance to several forms of environmental stress, improve immune function, and stabilize gut permeability. Some, or all, of the above responses influence our susceptibility to cognitive, metabolic, skeletal-muscle, and immunological diseases and tumor growth, as well as preventing cardiovascular diseases.

In this Special Issue, we invite both original research papers and insightful review articles that further address the beneficial effects of exercise. We need to understand not only their mechanisms, but also the specific type, intensity, and frequency of exercise required. While many of the above effects have been found in cell and animal models, more work is needed to confirm the transfer of these results to humans.

Prof. Dr. Suzanne M. Schneider
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • aerobic exercise
  • physical activity
  • steps per day
  • cytokines
  • exerkines
  • hepatokines
  • myokines
  • adipokines
  • gut–brain axis
  • immune function
  • obesity
  • diabetes
  • cardiovascular disease
  • hypertension
  • osteoporosis
  • tumor growth
  • cognitive function
  • dementia
  • depression
  • sleep disorders
  • hyperthermia
  • asthma

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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23 pages, 1916 KiB  
Systematic Review
Air Pollution and Endurance Exercise: A Systematic Review of the Potential Effects on Cardiopulmonary Health
by Sofía González-Rojas, Rodrigo Yáñez-Sepúlveda, Marcelo Tuesta, Braulio Sánchez-Ureña, José Trejos-Montoya, Jorge Olivares-Arancibia, José Francisco López-Gil and Daniel Rojas-Valverde
Life 2025, 15(4), 595; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15040595 - 3 Apr 2025
Viewed by 713
Abstract
This systematic review aimed to analyze the implications of endurance exercise in environments with certain levels of air pollution. This study was developed on the basis of the consensus of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The present review [...] Read more.
This systematic review aimed to analyze the implications of endurance exercise in environments with certain levels of air pollution. This study was developed on the basis of the consensus of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The present review is supported by articles containing the main databases PubMed, Elsevier, and Web of Science (WoS), including scientific articles published in the last 20 years. This study highlights that exposure to air pollution during endurance activities, such as cycling and outdoor running, significantly affects cardiopulmonary health. In conclusion, while physical exercise in environments with high air pollution presents significant risks to cardiopulmonary health, implementing preventive measures and adopting public policies are crucial to minimizing these impacts and promoting safe exercise practices. Likewise, on the basis of these results, it is possible to motivate the creation of safe and natural spaces for sports practice. Full article
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21 pages, 558 KiB  
Systematic Review
The Acute Effects of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Core Executive Functions in Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review
by Erdem Çakaloğlu, Hidayet Suha Yüksel, Fatma Neşe Şahin, Özkan Güler, Erkal Arslanoğlu, Bade Yamak, Mert Aydoğmuş, Onur Mutlu Yaşar, Alper Cenk Gürkan, Mehmet Söyler, Levent Ceylan and Hamza Küçük
Life 2025, 15(2), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15020230 - 5 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1413
Abstract
There is growing interest in examining acute effects of exercise on cognitive functions and neurocognitive outcomes. These behavioral and neurocognitive outcomes have been most frequently investigated in healthy young individuals, but relatively few studies have examined healthy older adults. This study aimed to [...] Read more.
There is growing interest in examining acute effects of exercise on cognitive functions and neurocognitive outcomes. These behavioral and neurocognitive outcomes have been most frequently investigated in healthy young individuals, but relatively few studies have examined healthy older adults. This study aimed to systematically review the effects of acute moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (MIAE) on core executive functions, including inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, in healthy older adults. A database search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted using a systematic search strategy. Acute MIAE interventions assessing core executive functions using randomized or stratified controlled trials investigating healthy older adults were reviewed. Eleven studies were identified, and the behavioral results from all included studies revealed that acute MIAE can improve core executive functions in healthy adults. However, incompatible results were observed in activated areas of the prefrontal cortex following MIAE in older adults. The limited number of studies investigating the effects of MIAE on core executive functions in older healthy adults with moderate overall quality restricts the conclusions. Therefore, more robust quality studies using neuroimaging techniques to investigate core executive functions, especially working memory and cognitive flexibility, are needed to explain the neural and behavioral mechanisms. Full article
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