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[Qowpel]

Hello everyone. For years I have been interested in longevity, and still wonder if exercise Does slow the aging process at all? And if it does, by which mechanisms does it do that? If it does, are they similar to the mechanisms found from say, fasting? I just have never found an answer to this and would love to know

[Hip]

Scientists have long been trying to identify what they call the work stimulus, the work factor or the exercise factor which is released by muscles during exercise, and then results in overall beneficial effects on the body and organs.

 

The cytokine IL-6 has been proposed as the work factor. Ref: here.

 

Massive quantities of IL-6 are released from muscles during exercise; but note this is not the usual inflammatory type of IL-6 which is released when you are ill with an infection, and which triggers fatigue.

 

There are actually two pathways for IL-6, the pro-inflammatory trans-signaling IL-6 pathway, and the anti-inflammatory classical signaling IL-6 pathway. Ref: here.

 

The IL-6 released by muscles during exercise is the anti-inflammatory classical pathway, which has beneficial effects on the body.  

 

Whereas the pro-inflammatory trans-signaling IL-6 pathway is triggered by infection.

Edited by Hip, 19 February 2021 - 03:54 AM.