2024, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (2): 295-301

Atg-mediated autophagy, exercise and skeletal muscle aging

Wang Jingfeng, Wen Dengtai, Wang Shijie, Gao Yinghui   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Exercise as a viable non-pharmacological treatment has the potential to reverse skeletal muscle aging that deteriorates with age. The role of autophagy in the skeletal muscle aging process is indispensable. During skeletal muscle aging, Atg genes involved in regulating autophagy regulate the autophagic process in either a facilitative or inhibitory manner to improve the physiological morphology of skeletal muscle. However the specific molecular mechanisms of autophagy in the exercise regulation of skeletal muscle aging remain puzzling.
OBJECTIVE: To search for general patterns of the effects of autophagic mechanisms on skeletal muscle aging during exercise through a review of articles in this field.
METHODS: (1) CNKI and Web of Science were searched, reviewed, and screened for relevant literature using the keywords of”Atg genes (proteins), autophagy, exercise, and skeletal muscle aging” to lay the theoretical foundation for the full-text analysis. (2) The comparative analysis method was used to compare the similarities and differences among the included documents to provide reasonable theoretical support for the arguments. By the further comparative analysis of the literature, the relationship between relevant indicators was clarified, to provide the ideas for the full-text analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Atg family-mediated autophagy is indispensable for delaying skeletal muscle aging. Atg genes involved in regulating autophagy regulate the autophagic process in either a facilitative or inhibitory manner to improve the physiological morphology and function of skeletal muscle. Different exercise patterns, such as age, time, or intensity at initiation, may have heterogeneous effects on the expression of autophagy-related proteins, but long-term aerobic exercise regulates Atg-related proteins, induces skeletal muscle autophagy, and delays the loss of muscle mass.

Key words: Atg, autophagy, exercise, skeletal muscle aging, aerobic exercise