30/11/2025
Exercise and Brain 🧠…
When a muscle contracts, it releases signaling molecules that travel through the bloodstream and directly influence brain function. This chart maps out that communication in real time.
Skeletal muscle behaves like an endocrine organ. The molecules it releases, collectively called myokines, reach the brain and help regulate learning, memory, blood flow, metabolism, and inflammatory balance.
signals shown in the diagram:
📌 BDNF
Increases with aerobic exercise. Supports synaptic plasticity, memory formation, and neurogenesis.
📌 IGF-1
Elevated with resistance training. Promotes neuronal survival, repair, and long-term brain plasticity.
📌 Irisin
Produced when the FNDC5 protein is cleaved during muscle contraction. Influences brain metabolism and inflammatory pathways.
📌 IL-6
Released in large amounts during sustained exercise. Regulates energy availability and exerts anti-inflammatory effects post-exercise.
📌 VEGF
Stimulated by endurance work. Supports angiogenesis, improving cerebral blood flow and oxygen delivery.
Different training types shift the myokine profile:
• Aerobic exercise → stronger signals for neuroplasticity and vascular adaptation
• Resistance training → stronger signals for repair, growth, and metabolic regulation
• Interval or combined training → blended signaling with broad cognitive and metabolic benefits
Across studies, regular physical activity maintains this muscle–brain communication as we age. Declines in myokine release are linked to reduced cognitive resilience, while consistent training helps preserve mitochondrial function, vascular health, and anti-inflammatory signaling in the brain.
Movement isn’t just mechanical effort. It’s biochemical communication that supports the nervous system with every contraction.
PMID: 38008091
