Exercise is postulated to activate and recruit human brown adipose tissue through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, heart, and skeletal muscle.
Does exercise activate and recruit brown adipose tissue in humans?
Exercise is proposed as a potential strategy to activate brown adipose tissue for metabolic benefits, though clinical evidence in humans remains to be established.
BACKGROUND: The energy-burning capacity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) makes it an attractive target for use in anti-obesity therapies. Moreover, due to its ability to oxidize glucose and lipids, BAT activation has been considered a potential therapy to combat type 2 diabetes and atherogenesis. SUMMARY: BAT is mainly regulated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS); yet, recent findings have shown a group of novel activators that act independently of the stimulation of the SNS such as cardiac natriuretic peptides, irisin, interleukin-6, β-aminoisobutyric acid and fibroblast growth factor 21 that could influence BAT metabolism. Several strategies are being examined to activate and recruit BAT with no side effects. In this review, we postulate that exercise might activate and recruit human BAT through the activation of SNS, heart and skeletal muscle. KEY MESSAGES: Epidemiological and well-designed exercise-based randomized controlled studies are needed to clarify if exercise is able to activate BAT in humans.
Sánchez‐Delgado et al. (Thu,) conducted a review in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. Exercise was evaluated. Exercise is postulated to activate and recruit human brown adipose tissue through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, heart, and skeletal muscle.