Molecular Effects of Exercise Snacks

• Grant number: 24/05012-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Metabolism and Bioenergetics
• Principal Investigator: José Cesar Rosa Neto
• Grantee: Letícia Rocha
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The lack of physical activity is a triggering factor for numerous morbidities, in addition to being associated with worsening of chronic inflammatory diseases. The World Health Organization recommends a total of 150 minutes of vigorous physical exercise, or 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week for an adult individual to be considered active. In addition, another worrying factor in modern society is the number of hours that individuals spend sitting, performing their work and even leisure functions. This factor is defined as sedentary behavior. We have seen a significant increase in the number of our population that is sedentary and exhibits this type of behavior. This has generated numerous costs for our health system, a reduction in quality of life and an increase in the number of patients with chronic diseases. Thus, a new model of physical activity designed to interrupt sedentary behavior has recently been defined as "exercise snacks". This consists of performing 4-6 sessions of vigorous exercise, for a short time, less than 60 seconds, divided during the day. This is a model that has been shown to be more feasible, feasible and well tolerated, with promising results in humans. We know that part of the beneficial effects of physical exercise are promoted by the release of myokines and adipokines that are able to act on different organs, through an endocrine effect. Thus, we propose to investigate whether the exercise snacking model is able to induce increased expression of adipokines and myokines in a C57BL6 mouse model.