Abstract:

During the past two decades, advances in research have revealed the role of exercise as a therapy for inflammatory diseases. One of the most important of these advances is the discovery that skeletal muscle communicates with other organs and tissues by secreting proteins called myokines. Some myokines, by different mechanisns, induce anti-inflammatory responses with each bout of exercise and mediate long-term exercise-induced improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, having an indirect anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, contrary to fears that physical activity might aggravate inflammatory pathways, exercise is now believed to be a potential treatment for patients with inflammatory diseases.

Key words: Persistent systemic inflammation; myokines