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Metabolites
Special Issues
Effects of Nutrition and Exercise on Cardiometabolic Health
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Effects of Nutrition and Exercise on Cardiometabolic Health

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Endocrinology and Clinical Metabolic Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 16 February 2026 | Viewed by 1073

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sam Emerson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Interests: metabolism; body composition; diet; exercise
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue of Metabolites dedicated to exploring the critical intersection of nutrition, exercise, and cardiometabolic health. Cardiometabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, represent a global health crisis with significant societal and economic consequences. Research on the role of lifestyle factors—particularly diet and physical activity—has gained substantial momentum, with increasing evidence supporting their ability to prevent, manage, and even reverse many aspects of these conditions.

This Special Issue invites original research, reviews, and communications that investigate the multifaceted effects of nutrition and exercise on metabolic processes, biomarkers, and outcomes related to cardiometabolic health. We welcome studies addressing the molecular, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms through which dietary patterns (e.g., macronutrient intake, micronutrients, processing level, and supplements) and exercise (e.g., aerobic, resistance, and combined training) modulate key metabolic pathways, inflammation, insulin sensitivity, and body composition. We also welcome outcome-based investigations of the benefits of diet and exercise on cardiometabolic risks.

The goal of this collection is to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in the field, highlighting innovative approaches and therapeutic strategies that can improve cardiometabolic health outcomes. We encourage submissions that explore both the individual and synergistic effects of nutrition and exercise, as well as studies that consider diverse populations, including those with metabolic disorders, aging populations, and individuals at risk for cardiovascular diseases.

I look forward to receiving your contributions and advancing the understanding of lifestyle interventions as powerful tools in the prevention and management of cardiometabolic diseases.

Dr. Sam Emerson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cardiovascular health
  • metabolic health
  • diet
  • nutrition
  • exercise
  • physical activity
  • body composition
  • obesity
  • metabolites
  • metabolism

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2228 KB  
Article
Linking Elastin in Skeletal Muscle Extracellular Matrix to Metabolic and Aerobic Function in Type 2 Diabetes: A Secondary Analysis of a Lower Leg Training Intervention
by Nicholas A. Hulett, Leslie A. Knaub, Irene E. Schauer, Judith G. Regensteiner, Rebecca L. Scalzo and Jane E. B. Reusch
Metabolites 2025, 15(10), 655; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15100655 - 2 Oct 2025
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Abstract
Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), a critical predictor of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. CRF relies upon the coordinated action of multiple systems including the skeletal muscle where the mitochondria metabolize oxygen and substrates to sustain [...] Read more.
Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), a critical predictor of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. CRF relies upon the coordinated action of multiple systems including the skeletal muscle where the mitochondria metabolize oxygen and substrates to sustain ATP production. Yet, previous studies have shown that impairments in muscle bioenergetics in T2D are not solely due to mitochondrial deficits. This finding indicates that factors outside the mitochondria, particularly within the local tissue microenvironment, may contribute to reduced CRF. One such factor is the extracellular matrix (ECM), which plays structural and regulatory roles in metabolic processes. Despite its potential regulatory role, the contribution of ECM remodeling to metabolic impairment in T2D remains poorly understood. We hypothesize that pathological remodeling of the skeletal muscle ECM in overweight individuals with and without T2D impairs bioenergetics and insulin sensitivity, and that exercise may help to ameliorate these effects. Methods: Participants with T2D (n = 21) and overweight controls (n = 24) completed a 10-day single-leg exercise training (SLET) intervention. Muscle samples obtained before and after the intervention were analyzed for ECM components, including collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, dystrophin, and proteoglycans, using second harmonic generation imaging and immunohistochemistry. Results: Positive correlations were observed with elastin content and both glucose infusion rate (p = 0.0010) and CRF (0.0363). The collagen area was elevated in participants with T2D at baseline (p = 0.0443) and showed a trend toward reduction following a 10-day SLET (p = 0.0867). Collagen mass remained unchanged, suggesting differences in density. Dystrophin levels were increased with SLET (p = 0.0256). Conclusions: These findings identify that structural proteins contribute to aerobic capacity and identify elastin as an ECM component linked to insulin sensitivity and CRF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Nutrition and Exercise on Cardiometabolic Health)
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Review

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21 pages, 1189 KB  
Review
Ultra-Processed Foods and Metabolic Dysfunction: A Narrative Review of Dietary Processing, Behavioral Drivers and Chronic Disease Risk
by Tyler J. Godsey, Travis Eden and Sam R. Emerson
Metabolites 2025, 15(12), 784; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15120784 - 5 Dec 2025
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become a dominant component of the modern diet, paralleling the rise in obesity and chronic disease prevalence worldwide. This narrative review aims to synthesize evidence on how dietary processing and UPF consumption interacts with dietary quality, energy balance, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become a dominant component of the modern diet, paralleling the rise in obesity and chronic disease prevalence worldwide. This narrative review aims to synthesize evidence on how dietary processing and UPF consumption interacts with dietary quality, energy balance, and biological pathways to influence metabolic health. Methods: We performed a targeted literature search of peer-reviewed articles and authoritative reports examining UPF definition (via the NOVA classification), global consumption patterns, behavioral drivers of overconsumption, nutrient composition, and mechanistic links to metabolic dysfunction. Emphasis was placed on recent human and animal research relating UPFs to obesity, cardiometabolic outcomes, inflammation and gut microbiome alterations. Results: High UPF intake is consistently associated with reduced diet quality (higher saturated fat, sugar, sodium; lower fiber and micronutrients), increased energy density, faster eating rates and activation of reward pathways. These factors facilitate excessive energy intake and adiposity, promoting metabolic dysregulation, chronic low-grade inflammation, hormonal disturbances and gut microbiome shifts. While cross-sectional and cohort evidence is extensive, causal intervention trials and mechanistic human work remain limited. Conclusions: The accumulated evidence suggests that UPFs may influence chronic disease risk through their unbalanced nutrient profiles and through additional effects introduced by industrial processing. To translate these insights into public health strategies, future work should prioritize real-world intervention studies to reduce UPF consumption and examine resulting effects on energy balance, inflammation and gut health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Nutrition and Exercise on Cardiometabolic Health)
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