Figure 2.

Systemic and local role of exercise training in modulating substrate utilization and macrophage polarization in adipose tissue. In the local adipose tissue microenvironment, regular exercise improves lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation, which is perhaps required for the activation of M2 macrophages. Furthermore, with less metabolic stress, there would be a downregulation of pro-inflammatory signaling. A shift in pro-inflammatory signaling would also result in a reduced recruitment of circulating monocytes, which may also attenuate the polarization of M1 macrophages.