Science Sub-Journal: Why exercise can prevent insulin resistance?

In a new study, researchers at Monash University in Australia discovered an enzyme called NADPH oxidase (NOX4), which is the key to exercise and improve our health

Importantly, this discovery provides the possibility to develop drugs that promote the activity of this enzyme to protect people from the effects of aging on metabolic health

Relevant research results were published in the journal "Science Advances" on December 15, 2021, entitled "Skeletal Muscle NOX4 is Necessary for Preventing the Adaptive Response of Insulin Resistance"

In the next 30 years, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years old will double

One of the main reasons that the incidence of type 2 diabetes increases with age is insulin resistance, that is, the body's inability to respond to insulin, which is usually caused by reduced physical activity with age

However, the exact mechanism by which no exercise promotes insulin resistance has been a mystery

In this new study, these authors discovered how physical activity actually enhances insulin responsiveness, which in turn promotes a healthy metabolism

Importantly, they discovered that the enzymes that play a key role in this mechanism may be targets of drugs to prevent the consequences of aging, such as muscle atrophy and diabetes

These authors revealed that the reduction of skeletal muscle reactive oxygen species (ROS) during aging plays an important role in the production of insulin resistance

The corresponding author of the paper, Professor Tony Tiganis of the Institute of Biomedical Discovery at Monash University in the United States, said that skeletal muscles continue to produce ROS, which increases during exercise

He said: "Exercise-induced ROS drives adaptive responses, and these responses are indispensable for the health-promoting effects of exercise

In this paper, Tiganis and his team showed how an enzyme called NOX-4 is essential for exercise-induced ROS and the adaptive response that drives metabolic health

In mouse experiments, these authors found that NOX4 in skeletal muscles increased after exercise, which in turn led to an increase in ROS, triggering an adaptive response, and protecting mice from insulin resistance, otherwise aging or diet-induced obesity insulin resistance would occur

Importantly, these authors found that NOX4 levels in skeletal muscle are directly related to age-related decline in insulin sensitivity

He said: "Using compounds to activate the NOX4 synergistic adaptation mechanism may improve key aspects of aging, including the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

One of these compounds is naturally occurring, for example, in cruciferous vegetables
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Moderate amounts, such as broccoli or cauliflower, although the amount needed to achieve anti-aging effects may exceed the amount many people are willing to consume
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